Ex-Survivor Contestant Michael Skupin Sentenced To Prison On Child Porn Charges

Michael Skupin, a contestant on the second season of Survivor: The Australian Outback in 2001 and later, Survivor: Philippines, has been sentenced to one to four years in prison on child pornography charges. Us Weekly reports that Skupin is facing a maximum sentence of four years, but will be eligible for parole after only one. Skupin was found guilty of four to six counts of child pornography in November. The conviction is the result of images that were found on Skupin’s computer during a raid on his home in February. Following the raid, brought on by the role Skupin played in a financial investment scheme, he was placed on probation and forced to pay over $30,000 in restitution. In a statement to the judge before the sentencing, Skupin claimed to be “deeply sorry” but maintained his innocence. “I never, ever said who, what, when, where, why these pictures were on there or viewed, I just maintained that I didn’t do it. I wasn’t pointing the finger at anybody, there was hundreds of people that use these computers.” Skupin was a software publisher before appearing in the Survivor franchise. He had to be evacuated via helicopter during the second season after falling into a fire and suffering burns to his hands.