| April 06, 2004 |
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By Kristina Wells Times Herald-Record kwells@th-record.com |
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Washingtonville – An
18-year-old Washingtonville man surrendered to police yesterday on charges that he transmitted child pornography over the Internet, officials said. Unbeknownst to the accused, some of the explicit images he transmitted were to an out-of-state detective with a record of busting cyberperverts. James McLaughlin is a Keene, N.H., detective who's so good at his job that he earned a 2002 write-up in "People" magazine. He's collected evidence to prosecute nearly 300 sex offenders in 43 states and 15 countries. McLaughlin alerted Blooming Grove police in January that, while surfing the Internet posing as a child, he came across a pornography purveyor based in New York, Blooming Grove Detective Brett Weeden said. A check of the alleged purveyor's Internet provider led detectives to an 18-year-old Washingtonville man who is also a college student in Buffalo, police said. Officials withheld his name because he qualifies for youthful offender status. Cops executed two search warrants on March 24 – one in Washingtonville and the other in Buffalo, Weeden said. At the Washingtonville home, Weeden said police found more than 125 images and movies on discs showing children under the age of 16 – some "much, much younger" – engaging in sexual acts, including intercourse. Evidence seized in Buffalo, including a computer, is still being processed, he said. The man, accompanied by his lawyer, surrendered yesterday. The man was charged with possession of a sexual performance by a child, possession of an obscene sexual performance by a child, promoting an obscene sexual performance by a child and promoting a sexual performance by a child, all felonies, Weeden said. Cops said they do not believe the suspect was producing the pornography. The suspect was arraigned and released on $1,000 bail to return to Blooming Grove Court in May. |
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