FORT MOHAVE – A Fort Mohave man who used cameras to record his adopted daughters in various stages of undress and possessed byproduct content on his personal cell phone has been handed a four-year prison sentence. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee Jantzen also ordered that Raymond Cornelia, 61, will be on probation for 15 years once released from prison.
Investigation began after one of the victims discovered images of herself in the content of Cornelia’s phone. He is convicted of two counts of surreptitious video recording and another charge reduced to attempted sexual exploitation of a minor through a plea agreement.
Attorneys have indicated that the adopted girls lived for years with Cornelia and were 13 and 14-years-old when cameras were found inside the family home in the 1500 block of E. King Street.
Deputy Mohave County Attorney Leah Nelson indicated that one camera had been placed to capture images of the girls in a bathroom, and another was trained upon a bed where one of the victims slept. She argued that there’s evidence of repositioning and strategic placement.
“He was moving the cameras back and forth,” Nelson said, during the October 9 sentencing hearing. “He’s trying to get the best angle.”
Public Defender Paul Amann said there is no evidence of sexual motivation or intent on Cornelia’s part.
“It doesn’t appear that he had any interest or desire to sexually exploit these children,” Amann said.
“I’m sorry for what I did and all I put on my family,” Cornelia told Judge Jantzen.
Amann said Cornelia had been a consummate foster and adopted father, apart from the camera involvement. He argued for probation and no further jail time.
Nelson conceded that Cornelia provided for the girls. She countered that he betrayed their trust and the trust of the State of Arizona for allowing him to adopt them. Nelson branded Cornelia a predator and labeled his crimes as heinous and disgusting.
Judge Jantzen described Cornelia’s conduct as reprehensible and sided more with Nelson than Amann. He said he did not buy the defendant’s claim that the camera use was for protective purpose.
“I don’t find that to be credible. I find he was trying to exploit the children,” Jantzen said. “This is repeated behavior. These are your own children. It’s unbelievable. It’s outrageous.”
