Judge eyes child porn conviction after spy case

LOS ANGELES -- A judge says she's considering throwing out at least one conviction against a former Boeing manager found guilty of receiving and possessing child pornography that was uncovered during an unrelated espionage investigation.

Federal Judge Christina Snyder said Monday that she needs more time to consider the facts of the case and postponed the sentencing of Keith Gartenlaub.

Snyder indicated that she was planning on vacating one of the two child pornography convictions against him, saying they may be duplicative. She also said the government's request that Gartenlaub be sentenced to 10 years seemed too high.

Gartenlaub's attorney repeated his argument that the whole case should be dismissed because of the way the government searched Gartenlaub's home. He says the warrant, obtained through the nation's secretive intelligence court, was based on allegations of a crime for which Gartenlaub has never been charged - espionage.

Snyder said she believes the government complied with the law but she had some personal questions regarding the court process.