’16 and Pregnant’ Star Pleads Guilty to Child Pornography Charges

Lori Wickelhaus, who starred on MTV‘s 16 and Pregnant, pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography during a court hearing in Kentucky last month. Her sentencing was scheduled for June 29. Wickelhaus, 28, was arrested in August 2020 for allegedly possessing viewing matter portraying a sexual performance involving a minor on three separate dates in 2019.

Winklehaus entered the guilty plea on May 10, according to Kentucky court documents obtained by The Sun on May 27. A 20-count indictment was issued for her arrest on Aug. 13, 2020, for allegedly possessing child pornography on Sept. 23, 2019; Dec. 18, 2019; and Dec. 19, 2019. The material was allegedly found on an iPhone and white chrome laptop PC, according to the police report. Police received a tip from the Kentucky State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force alleging that “unknown subject uploaded images that depict child pornography to a Dropbox account,” the report states. Winklehaus was arrested on Aug. 24 and released on a $10,000 cash bond.

The MTV star first pleaded not guilty to 20 counts of possession of a matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor in September. The trial was scheduled to start on May 10, the same day she changed her plea deal. Winklehaus also deactivated her social media accounts amid the arrest.

Winklehaus was featured in an episode of 16 and Pregnant during Season 2, which aired in 2010. At the time, the Fort Thomas, Kentucky native was pregnant with her first child with ex-boyfriend Cory Haskett. The episode ended with Winklehaus giving birth to a son, whom she gave up for adoption. Since the episode aired, Winklehaus has had two more children ex-fiance, Joey Amos.

The episode was heartbreaking for viewers, as Winklehaus was adopted herself. Two years after it aired, Winklehaus revealed how difficult it was to give up her son for adoption. “[I] fell into a downward spiral,” Winklehaus said in a 2012 video filmed when she was staying at a transitional program in West Virginia, reports The Ashley’s Reality Round-Up. “I had no dreams, I had no goals, I didn’t care what happened day to day,”

This is not the first time Winklehaus was arrested. In January 2018, she was booked for theft by deception for allegedly using bad checks and failing to appear, reports Starcasm. She was also booked a few days later for another failure to appear charge.