Editor’s note: This story contains graphic descriptions of the evidence in this case.
LAKE COUNTY, Calif. — A judge on Monday threw out a plea agreement that would have placed a former Lakeport business owner on probation for child pornography possession, instead saying she intended to sentence him to state prison.
Judge Shanda Harry rejected the plea agreement during an afternoon sentencing hearing for Jeffery Scott Cramer, 60.
Cramer was arrested in May 2020 as the result of a Lake County Sheriff’s Office investigation.
Detectives served search warrants at his home and at the business he owned at the time, Main Street Bicycles, seizing digital devices and determining that social media accounts associated with Cramer had been used to upload child pornography on at least five occasions between August 2019 and February 2020.
The District Attorney’s Office filed the case in September of 2020, charging him with felony possession of child pornography and bringing obscene materials that depict a minor in a sex act into the state.
In March of 2021, Cramer entered a no contest plea to felony possession of child pornography. As part of a plea agreement that he reached with the District Attorney’s Office, the second charge was dropped, said District Attorney Susan Krones.
Krones, who took over the case after Deputy District Attorney Lisa O’Brien left her office, said that second charge was dismissed with a Harvey waiver, which allows the judge to consider the factual circumstances of that charge.
The agreement required Cramer to register for life as a sex offender. While on conviction the charge has sentencing guidelines of 16 months, two or three years in state prison, Krones said Cramer was going to get no prison time but was to serve up to three years’ probation with strict terms that, if they hadn’t been fulfilled, would have sent him to prison.
Since that plea agreement was reached, the state Legislature has reduced maximum probation time to two years, except in unusual cases, Krones said.
Asked why Cramer was offered that deal, Krones said, “He had a lot of support in the community and he also has no prior record whatsoever.” If he’d had any prior record, the offer wouldn’t have been made.
She said Cramer also immediately went into sex offender treatment counseling.
Judge explains her concerns, rejects plea agreement
Cramer’s sentencing has been continued numerous times since May 2021 but on Monday afternoon it appeared that the prosecution, defense and Judge Shanda Harry were ready to proceed.
Harry didn’t indicate immediately that she intended to reject the plea agreement. Instead, she offered a thorough explanation of her conclusions on the case, which she said involved reading a probation report that she thought was incomplete.
She said that wasn’t necessarily the fault of the Probation Department, because in such cases victims are difficult to contact. “You don’t always know who the victims are.”
Harry said she asked to see the materials that had been in Cramer’s possession, explaining that with only one or two exceptions, all were clearly children under age 12, with the judge estimating the children ranged in age from 9 to 11 years.
She said many of the images showed prepubescent girls in various stages of undress and all of them depicted girls in suggestive poses. Some more graphic pictures showed the girls’ genitalia.
With the images were a number of videos. “I wanted to be clear what these videos were of, because I think that’s significant,” Harry said.
Harry called those items “tribute videos,” in which Cramer filmed himself masturbating and then ejaculating on the images. He then uploaded those videos to porn sites, where they were distributed.
“This was not a passive exploration of pictures,” Harry said.
She said there have been claims made about the case that she hasn’t found credible, including that Cramer “went down a rabbit hole” and was led from one image to another. However, Harry pointed out that rather than just viewing them, he made his own tribute videos. “I find that claim to be somewhat disingenuous at best.”
Harry said a number of letters from friends and neighbors of Cramer’s had been submitted to the court, claiming he has good character.
“Many people who wrote the letters didn't seem to know what it was he was accused of exactly,” she said.
When these types of cases occur, a lot of people will come out and defend the accused, noting that that person is great otherwise, Harry said, adding that goes to the court’s analysis.
She agreed that Cramer has taken responsibility. “It’s easy to do once you’re caught.”
Harry said someone once told her that dangerous individuals in cases such as this one are friendly looking, and the type no one would expect. Cramer, she said, looks just like that.
The argument had been made that jail would be bad for Cramer’s physical and mental health, which Harry accepted. However, she said she accepted that argument for almost everyone.
The crime for which Cramer is charged has victims, said Harry, explaining the damage to the lives of the children shown in the images and videos. “Saying there are no victims is a misnomer.”
She added, “These items would not be created if there was not a consumer.”
Harry then announced she didn’t accept the plea deal as negotiated, explaining that she didn't find Cramer eligible for probation.
Instead, she intended to sentence him to two years in state prison, with other terms of the deal remaining in effect. “That is my sentence.”
Cramer’s attorney, Jane Gaskell of Santa Rosa, said the plea had been entered with the understanding that probation would be granted. As such, she asked for more time to talk to Cramer about next steps.
Gaskill also asked to withdraw the letters of support that had been submitted in order to remove them from the public record.
Harry granted both the request for more time and the removal of the letters, and set Cramer’s return to court for 3 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15.
Following the court appearance, Krones told Lake County News that about 20 letters had been submitted in support of Cramer.
Neither she nor anyone in court on Monday identified any of the letter writers.
As for what could happen next, Krones said Cramer could withdraw his plea, at which point all of the original charges would be available, and go to a jury trial, risking the potential for a greater prison sentence.
Krones said he also can stay with the plea with the understanding that the judge is not going to grant probation and is likely going to sentence him to two years in prison.
“Basically, those are the options,” she said.
Email Elizabeth Larson at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. . Follow her on Twitter, @ERLarson, or Lake County News, @LakeCoNews.
Judge rejects plea agreement in child pornography possession case
- Elizabeth Larson
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