Focus in child-porn trial turns to codefendant

Until yesterday, most of the attention in the child-pornography trial of John Jackey Worman and Dorothy Prawdzik has centered on Worman.

Prawdzik had remained quietly at the side of her lawyers in federal court, occasionally crying during emotional testimony from alleged victims - some related to her.

But the focus shifted to the 44-year-old Drexel Hill woman yesterday as federal prosecutors showed the jury graphic images of her with some of the alleged victims.

Prawdzik faces various counts of aiding and abetting Worman, 41, of Colwyn, who is charged in a federal indictment with 55 counts of manufacturing and one count of possessing child pornography.

A third defendant, Concetta Jackson, 45, of Collingdale, pleaded guilty last week to related charges, and will be sentenced in December.

Police learned of the allegations of abuse and child pornography when one of Prawdzik's children came forward.

Prosecutors say that over nine years, Worman molested at least 12 children in his care, ranging in age from 3 months to 15 years. Some were Jackson's and Prawdzik's children.

Prawdzik and Jackson had intimate relationships with Worman. Prawdzik and Worman had a son in 1993.

Before the jurors were brought in to the courtroom yesterday, Prawdzik's attorney asked Judge Lawrence F. Stengel if Prawdzik could be returned to the Federal Detention Center's "special housing" unit for protection.

On Tuesday night, Prawdzik received "threats of abuse" from other inmates because of the publicity of this case, Steven G. Laver told the judge. Prawdzik was red-eyed and wiped her eyes during his request.

A judge had revoked Prawdzik's bail in February 2007 on allegations that she failed to tell authorities she had a sexual encounter with Worman and a 10-year-old girl.

Yesterday, jurors heard from two fathers who had left their children in Prawdzik's care. She had taken some of the children on Dorney Park and camping trips. She also babysat them occasionally.

The men said they could not identify their children in the pornographic videos and still images shown to them by police, who seized more than 1.2 million still images and 11,000 videos.

In some of the images shown to the jury yesterday, Prawdzik could be seen and heard instructing a toddler. As if they were playing a game, Prawdzik asked the child to take off her bathing suit and point out body parts.

When Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle T. Rotella asked one of the men if he had allowed Prawdzik to babysit the children at Worman's Colwyn home, he said he had not.

"I was very protective of my daughter," he said.