The sex crime convictions and 17 1/2-year prison sentence imposed on a porn star who crossed state lines to sexually abuse a 14-year-old eastern Pennsylvania boy was upheld Thursday by a federal appeals court panel.

In doing so, the judges on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit rejected Christopher Steele’s claim that there wasn’t enough evidence to convict him.

Steele, who performed in porn flicks under the name Mike Dozor, was found guilty of traveling from Newark, Del., in the summer of 2013 to engage in sex acts with a Montgomery County teenager he met on the social networking site Jack’d.

The boy’s parents discovered his online communication with Steele and went to the police, Judge Marjorie O. Rendell noted in the appeals court opinion. Police said Steele admitted to having sex with the teen and that he knew the boy was 14. Sexually explicit photos of the teen were found on Steele’s cell phone.

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