Giardini faces porn, enticement charges

MOBILE, Alabama (WALA) - Former Assistant District Attorney Steve Giardini was booked into Mobile County Metro Jail Tuesday morning, on charges of enticement and solicitation crimes over the computer with the intent to produce child pornography. The arrest was made by agents of the Alabama attorney general's Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

"The crimes alleged in this indictment are all the more horrifying in that the defendant was a prosecutor entrusted to protect citizens from evil and criminal wrongdoing," said Attorney General Troy King. "The people of Alabama should be reassured, however, that no one is above the law, and that those who seek to harm and exploit our children will be punished, whoever they are."

The charges against Giardini linger on a much darker side. The former assistant district attorney is accused of soliciting a 15-year-old girl over the internet to have sex. The attorney general's office also charges Giardini was going to produce pornography.

Specifically, he is charged with:

• one count of acting with the intent to entice a child under the age of age 16 for intercourse, sodomy or other sexual purposes, a class C felony punishable by one to 10 years imprisonment
• one count of acting with the intent to criminally solicit the production of child pornography, a class B felony punishable by two to 20 years imprisonment
• one count of acting with the intent to entice a child for sexual purposes, by means of computer, telephone, personal digital assistant, or other electronic means of communication or information storage, a class B felony punishable by two to 20 years imprisonment

Giardini's attorney, Dennis Knizley, got the news Tuesday morning about his client's arrest.

"Press release from the attorney general reflects there was an undercover FBI agent posing as a 15-year-old child, I believe," Knizley said.

FOX10 News asked if Giardini was trying to manufacture porn.

"No," Knizley flatly stated.

Giardini's problems didn't start here. In April of 2009, he resigned from the district attorney's office after FBI agents searched his Dauphin Street home.

What they were looking for, or found, is still a mystery. Federal Judge William Cassidy sealed the search warrant.

FOX10 News asked why it took so long for an arrest.

"That's a good question. It has been over 16 months since searched his home. And of course his life has been on hold since then. The facts of the case will turn out to be interesting and address those when we go to trial," said Knizley.

Knizley said its likely a judge from outside the area will be brought in to try to the case.

The district attorney's office referred FOX10 to the Alabama attorney general's Office for comment.

Giardini was released on a $250,000 bond.