CONCORD, N.H. (AP) – A Dartmouth College professor whom one colleague described as a beloved presence on campus could spend years in prison after being caught with an extensive collection of child pornography – some of which he shared on the social media site Tumblr.
J. Martin Favor, on paid leave since his September arrest, pleaded guilty in March and resigned earlier this month. He will be sentenced Monday and could receive up to 10 years in prison, though a prosecutor recommended 6½ years; his attorney requested three years. He faces being a registered sex offender for life.
Favor’s lawyer, George Ostler, said it’s certain the Ivy League English professor’s two-decade career is over. But he says Favor recognizes he suffers from an addiction and has committed himself to mental health treatment.
“Through the years, Mr. Favor played an active and a robust role in the academic community and was widely respected, not only at Dartmouth, but throughout the country,” Ostler said in a court document.
Favor, 49, was arrested last year at his Plainfield home after authorities said he uploaded four suspected images of child porn through his account on Tumblr, a cross between a social networking site and a blog. Authorities say the images were uploaded to an account associated with his IP address and were traced back to him.