A former Galveston County lawman has pleaded guilty to distributing child pornography, a federal prosecutor said.

Weldon Kovacevich, a 45-year-old Bayou Vista resident, appeared before U S. Magistrate Judge John Froeschner and admitted to sending images from his home computer via the Internet to Virginia.

He faces up to 20 years in prison when he is sentenced in January, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Robert Stabe. The court may also impose a life term of supervised release, along with other conditions. He will remain on bond.