Libraries and Preferential Offenders:
Nationwide Incidents
Arizona man who used Virginia library computers busted in Internet sting
Associated Press, July 19th, 2009
A Scottsdale man is in custody in Virginia accused of soliciting sex from a minor at a Chesapeake
Virginia library. Virginia State Police say 25-year-old Jesse Wise was having online conversations
with an undercover officer posing as a 13-year-old girl.
In an interview with Virginia television station WAVY, Wise said he never would have traveled from
Arizona to Virginia if he had known the girl was 13. Wise maintained he thought he was talking
with a 19-year-old.
Virginia State Police say Wise was living in the woods and would use the computer inside a
library for online conversations.
Police say Wise was waiting to meet the girl when he was arrested.
Wise is being held without bond. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday in
Chesapeake.
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Eight-year-old girl sexually assaulted at library in St. Paul, Minnesota
Aug 14, 2008
St. Paul police released a sketch of a man suspected of the sexual assault of an 8-year-old girl
at Riverview Library. Witnesses tell police the man was using the computers and may have been
looking at pornography. After approaching two other girls, police say the man followed the victim to
a basement restroom where he touched her in a sexual manner. Police say the man left without
being noticed. For now, the six computer stations are out of order while investigators look at the
usage history with hopes of tracing the suspect. It’s unknown exactly what the man was looking at
on the computer, but access is logged through library cards and available websites are filtered.
While there are no surveillance cameras at the library, there were already plans in place to have
them installed. Police are checking with 19 known sex offenders in the area, but no one is in
custody. The suspect is a white or Hispanic male in his 20s, approximately 5’7 tall, with stubble
or a slight beard and a pot belly. He was last seen wearing a gray shirt and blue jeans.
Retrieved August 16, 2008 from
http://www.myfoxtwincities.com/myfox/pages/News/Detail?
contentId=7211428&version=3&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=TSTY&pageId=3.2.1
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Registered sex offender used computers at Colorado library to commit new crimes
From Fox 21 News (on-line), Colorado Springs-Pueblo, June 27, 2008
The Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force concluded a 12-month
investigation into the online victimization of a child with the arrest of registered sex offender Gerald
Michael King for Sexual Exploitation of Children. The involved agencies were the Colorado
Springs Police Department ICAC Unit, Pueblo County Sheriffs Office ICAC Unit and Immigration
and Customs Enforcement Bureau.
The Colorado Springs Police Department ICAC Unit received a report of the sexual exploitation of
a child involving sexually explicit images memorializing the abuse of a juvenile being created and
distributed on the Internet. The explicit images were recovered from a home computer after a
forensic examination.
E-mails distributing the explicit images were discovered and identified as King’s. It was
discovered that in an attempt to conceal the identity of the person accessing the email account,
the explicit images were accessed from computers at public libraries. King was arrested and
booked into the El Paso County Criminal Justice Center.
Retrieved June 28, 2008 from http://www.kxrm.com/news/news_story.aspx?id=152456
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Colorado - Child porn suspect had been banned from library
By Anthony Lane. From The (Colorado Springs) Gazette (online). 06/22/07
A man accused of sending child pornography from a Penrose Library computer had been banned
months earlier from the library district for using a Web site that links to child pornography, police
said. William James Huffstutter, a registered sex offender, was jailed earlier this month on
suspicion of uploading child pornography in December to a Yahoo account.
Although he was banned from the library last summer, Huffstutter is thought to have used a
computer in December that does not require a library card for access, said Colorado Springs
police detective Clay Blackwell.
Investigators searched 27 Internet computers at the library Wednesday morning, looking for
evidence that Huffstutter or others used them to view or send child pornography, but did not find
anything new, Blackwell said.
He said library software, including a program that screens out sexual images, is apparently
effective at scouring Web browsing history and keeping the computers free of unwanted images.
Huffstutter, 34, was arrested after police got a tip through the National Center for Missing and
Exploited Children that Yahoo found child pornography on one of its servers posted from a library
computer, Blackwell said.
The e-mail account used to upload the images was linked to Huffstutter using a cell phone
number listed with the account, he said. It was the second tip police have received this year about
child pornography uploaded with a library computer, Blackwell said.
The other involved someone uploading sexual images of children and also logos for credit cards,
suggesting possible material for a Web site, he said.
That case went nowhere because the library does not keep track of who has used each computer,
and its network is set up so investigators cannot tell which computer within the system was used to
send the illegal images, Blackwell said.
In Huffstutter’s case, information from Yahoo helped investigators connect him with the illegal
images without tying him to a particular computer, Blackwell said.
Investigators also obtained a report Wednesday detailing the library’s suspicion that Huffstutter
was using a special search engine July 27, 2006, that provides links to child pornography,
Blackwell said.
Huffstutter was suspended in August from using any library facilities for a year, library officials said.
Dee Vazquez, a Pikes Peak Library District spokeswoman, said it is the library’s policy to report
suspected crimes. She said the library has suspended a handful of others from the library or from
using its computers for looking at sexual images, but Huffstutter’s case is the only one she knows
about involving possibly illegal images.
She said she did not know why last year’s case would not have been reported, though she noted
documents in that instance make no mention of him viewing child pornography, only of a Web site
he is suspected of visiting.
Huffstutter’s past includes a 1991 conviction for sexually assaulting a child, according to Pueblo
court records. He remains in jail on $10,000 bond.
Retrieved June 23, 2007 from http://www.gazette.com/articles/library_23944___article.
html/huffstutter_child.html
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Colorado - Sex offender who used library computer arrested for alleged child porn
Colorado Springs - From Fox21.com (online). 06/08/07. By Christina Salvo
A registered sex offender living in Colorado Springs is in custody on charges of sexual exploitation
of a child. Detectives said 34-year-old William Huffstutter was distributing images of child
pornography on the internet using computers at a Pikes Peak Library.
Internet use at the library may be free, but that does not mean people are free to surf the web for
anything. Sydene Dean works at the Pikes Peak Library. She said, "We do have a filter called
Websense." This prevents users from viewing sexually explicit images over the internet or at least
in some areas. Dean said, "E-mail isn't filtered it must be something the internet provider, like
Yahoo! monitoring what's going over their site." That is how detectives were tipped off to Huffstutter.
Detective Adam Romine said, "We had information that Mr. Huffstutter had been sending images
from the library downtown."
In February detectives received a cybertip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited
Children, who was alerted by Yahoo! that an e-mail account of theirs was being used to distribute
images of child pornography. It was the tip that launched the four month investigation into
Huffstutter, but one that detectives said should have come much sooner and from the library itself.
Romine said, "He at one point was ban from the library for using their computers for viewing child
pornography on one of their computers." Detectives said that was in June of last year and he was
not reported to them by the library.
The library did not want to get into specifics but said it was only a temporary suspension that as
issued because Huffstutter accessed a site that the they say only potentially contained child
pornography.
Though Wednesday's arrest would suggest child pornography was what Huffstutter was searching
for, detectives said they will never know since the library does not monitor or retain who is looking
at what when on their computers. Dean said, "You sign up on a computer so for that day with info.
After that day, I'm not a tech person, but that info is lost on a daily basis."
The library defends its actions saying while it is not logistically realistic to keep such information
for longer than a day, they said more importantly, sharing such information is an infringement of
privacy rights protecting their users' freedom of speech.
Posted by Kelly Brown. kbrown@fox21news.com
Retrieved June 16, 2007 from http://fox21news.com/Global/story.asp?S=6626198
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Georgia - Gwinnett County Public Library Board member arrested for child molestation
By Alex P. Joyner. July 29, 2008.
A member of the Gwinnett County Public Library Board who is also a Cub Scout leader was arrested on felony child
molestation charges involving two children.
Harry Brett Taylor, 44, was appointed to the board by the Gwinnett County Board of Commissioners and began his term in
2006. He faces four counts of child molestation and one count of sexual battery, Gwinnett police spokesman Cpl. David Schiralli
said. Taylor remains in the Gwinnett jail Monday without bond. Authorities began investigating Taylor following a July complaint
from the mother of a child who slept over at the Taylor residence, authorities said. There, police say, Taylor touched the boy's
genital area and photographed him while he was drying off and undressing after exiting their swimming pool. Schiralli said the
alleged incident occurred about two months ago.
The woman informed police that her child told her Taylor had the children wear only T-shirts to bed during a sleep over because
"we all are the same," according to an incident report. During the investigation, authorities learned Taylor had been molesting a
family member for an extended amount of time. Taylor's arrest warrant states the alleged acts occurred in February 2006 and in
July. Taylor is accused of touching the child's private area and buttocks. Taylor is also a local Cub Scout leader.
The library system was mum Monday about Taylor's future with the board. According to the library system's Web site, library
administration receives its policy direction from the five-member board. "The library was saddened by the news but will
continue to provide services to the community without interruption as the legal process moves forward with this unfortunate turn
of events," according to a statement issued to the Post. "As always, the library appreciates the support of our community."
Gwinnett County Commissioner Lorraine Green, who nominated Taylor, said she was unaware of Taylor's charges when
reached by
phone Monday afternoon. She said she nominated Taylor by way of community organization ties and was not a personal friend.
Retrieved August 31, 2008 from
http://www.wsbtv.com/news/17017393/detail.html and from http://www.accessnorthga.com/detail.php?n=211888
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Tulare County California Librarian fired for reporting child pornography: Supervisor warned her not to call police over illegal
activity
March 20, 2008. From WorldNetDaily on line (No author listed)
Librarian Brenda Biesterfeld says she's glad her community considers her a hero for helping nab a child porn suspect, but
wants her library job back. A bizarre battle has erupted over the arrest on child pornography charges of a man at a California
public library, with library and county officials siding against the staffer who called police to arrest the alleged criminal. Librarian
Brenda Biesterfeld was fired from her job after disregarding her supervisor's orders not to call police.
Now a pro-family organization and a law firm are rallying support for her. "We've come alongside her, providing media training
and legal representation," said Randy Thomasson, chief of the Campaign for Children and Families, a prominent pro-family
leadership group. "Our goal is to get Brenda's job back, to institute a new library policy that has no tolerance for obscenity and
child pornography, and to send a nationwide message that child predators will not be allowed to 'do their thing' in libraries."
Mathew Staver, head of Liberty Counsel, said his organization has sent a demand letter to the Tulare County Board of
Supervisors challenging the librarian's dismissal.
The incident developed on Feb. 28 when Beisterfeld, a single mother, was working in the Lindsay Branch library, and she
noticed Donny Lynn Chrisler, 39, viewing child porn on one of the public-use computers. "She immediately went to her
supervisor, Judi Hill, who instructed her to give him a warning and explain that on his second warning he would be banned from
the library," Liberty Counsel said. "When Biesterfeld asked if she should call the police, Hill told her not to and that the library
would handle it internally." She also was told that "this happens more often than she would think."
Biesterfeld was so unnerved by the situation, she talked with police the next day. Then on March 4, when Chrisler returned,
Biesterfeld saw him viewing more child porn and called police. "When police officers arrived they caught Chrisler viewing the
child pornography, arrested him, and placed him in the Tulare County Jail, where he remains on $10,000 bail," Liberty Counsel
said. "Further investigation uncovered more child pornography in Chrisler's home."
But when police confiscated the computer from the library, Hill confronted them and said they had no business enforcing the
child pornography law within the library. "Even after the police captain explained that a federal law had been violated, making it
a legal matter to be handled by police, Hill never offered to help," Liberty Counsel said. "Instead, she demanded to know who
made the report."
Even though police investigators concealed Biesterfeld's name, Hill claimed she knew who it was, and within 20 minutes the
captain got a call from Biesterfeld saying Hill had called her and rebuked her. Two days later and without explanation
Biesterfeld was fired. The law firm's letter demands Biesterfeld's reinstatement and that the library change its policy to prevent
the use of library property for illegal behavior and to establish a prompt reporting system.
Mayor Ed Murray submitted a similar request to the county, officials said. "Brenda Biesterfeld had a moral and a legal
responsibility to report to police a library patron whom she observed viewing child pornography," said Staver. "It is outrageous
that the Lindsay Branch library fired Ms. Biesterfeld for reporting child pornography. Child Pornography is a despicable crime
against children." Thomasson said the local battle, however, has national implications. "We're also defending children
nationwide," he said. "You see, the American Library Association, which is the controlling influence over libraries nationwide,
views pornography and obscenity as 'intellectual freedom.' Because of this, many libraries in the U.S. allow child pornographers
to use their Internet system undetected and unreported. Is it any wonder why child molestation has become so common?"
According to the association's own web page regarding intellectual freedom and censorship, it is not the work of a library to
protect children from material that is "legally obscene." "Governmental institutions cannot be expected to usurp or interfere with
parental obligations and responsibilities when it comes to deciding what a child may read or view," the ALA says. It also defines
"intellectual freedom" as the right to see material "without restriction." Those who object to obscenity and its availability are
"censors," who "try to use the power of the state to impose their view of what is truthful and appropriate." "Each of us has the right
to read, view, listen to, and disseminate constitutionally protected ideas, even if a censor finds those ideas offensive," the ALA
states.
"Censors might sincerely believe that certain materials are so offensive, or present ideas that are so hateful and destructive to
society, that they simply must not see the light of day. Others are worried that younger or weaker people will be badly influenced
by bad ideas, and will do bad things as a result," the ALA said.
That was the point Steve Baldwin, a former California lawmaker, was making when he previously penned a column citing a
report from the Family Research Council. "A 2000 report by the Family Research Council details how its researchers sent out
surveys to every librarian in America asking questions about access to pornography. Despite efforts by the ALA to stop its
members from responding, 462 librarians did respond. Their replies revealed 472 instances of children assessing
pornography, 962 instances of adults accessing pornography, 106 instances of adults exposing children to pornography, five
attempted child molestations, 144 instances of child porn being accessed and 25 instances of library staff being harassed by
those viewing pornography. Over 2,062 total porn-related incidents were reported by a mere 4.6 percent of our nation's
librarians so one can assume the number of incidents is probably twenty times higher," he reported. He wrote that the "bias" of
the ALA is obvious.
"When parent groups have offered to place books in libraries with conservative themes or are critical of the left, the ALA's claims
of being First Amendment guardians suddenly look fraudulent. When one parent tried to donate George Grant's book, 'Killer
Angel,' a critical biography of Planned Parenthood founder Margaret Sanger, the library sent a letter stating that 'the author's
political and social agenda…is not appropriate.' Huh? A biographical book with zero profanity is banned but books that feature
the 'F' word a hundred times are sought after with zeal. Go figure," Baldwin wrote.
Thomasson called on librarians across the country to report child pornography to law enforcement whenever it happens. "The
liberals who run the library system in America must stop violating the federal law because they regard child pornography as
'free speech,'" he said. "All pornography is immoral, but possession of child pornography is a federal crime. No librarian should
fear reporting child pornography to the police, but libraries that fail to report these crimes should be very afraid. Brenda
Biesterfeld will get her job back, and more."
Biesterfeld said she felt intimidated by Hill after the police investigation was launched. "She kind of threatened me," Biesterfeld
said. "She said I worked for the county, and when the county tells you to do something, you do what the county tells you. She
said I had no loyalty to the county. I told her I was a mother and a citizen also, and not just a county employee."
The dismissal letter from Tulare County Librarian Brian Lewis said probationary employees can be fired if they don't perform at
a level "necessary for fully satisfactory performance." But Thomasson reported a Lindsay city councilwoman said she'd been
told just a few weeks earlier Biesterfeld was doing a great job. The city of Lindsay also has complained to the county about Hill's
"abrupt, demanding and demeaning" telephone call to police telling them to halt their pornography investigation.
Retrieved August 23, 2008 from http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59457
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Arizona - Ten year sentence for Phoenix Public Library child pornography trafficker
Phoenix, Arizona - March 12, 2007
On December 22, 2005, the Arizona Internet Crimes Against Children (AZ ICAC) Task Force received the first in a series of
seven reports from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding child pornography that was
being trafficked through Google. Technicians at Google had discovered disturbing images of child pornography on their
computer servers and reported the images to NCMEC in accordance with federal law.
An unknown offender had posted unlawful images to five different groups within Google. The groups had the following titles:
Pedophilia-Pics
Hardcore
Preteen photos
Preteen-bestiality-and-anything-taboo2
Homemade_vid_pthc, (note: among pedophiles, pthc means pre-teen hardcore)
Researchers at NCMEC conducted a preliminary investigation and learned that the computers facilitating the trafficking
belonged to the City of Phoenix and that the offender used the email address,”ugofif@yahoo.com” and the screen
name, “Billy Corgan”.
Investigators quickly suspected that the screen name Billy Corgan was an alias after learning that the real Billy Corgan
is a prominent musician.
An Intenet Yahoo profile posted on-line for “ugofif” indicated that his listed interests included:
Preschool
Strangers with Candy
Kinki Kids
PT Cruiser (note: among pedophiles, PT stands for “pre-teen”)
Kinder-und Jugendhilfe
Babyz
All in the Family
AZ ICAC investigators learned that the computers used by “ugofif” were part of the vast Phoenix library system including
13 branch libraries located throughout the 516 square-mile city.
Computer experts know that computers connected to the Internet can be identified by an Internet protocol (IP) number,
also known as an IP address. An IP address is similar to a telephone number in that the number can be traced through
subpoena to a particular location or vicinity.
Investigators learned that the IP numbers associated with “ugofif” were shared between every public-access computer
throughout the entire citywide library network and investigators initially could not identify which single library computer
was the one used by “ugofif”.
Working in an undercover capacity on the Internet, an investigator contacted “ugofif” and developed information that he
was trafficking child pornography for sale. He used a monetary brokerage service that is designed to protect the
anonymity of buyers and sellers.
Investigators leaned that "ugofif" had used Phoenix public library computers on hundreds of occasions. Because the
library does not log nor retain basic user information, the investigation would have stalled except for one unusual IP
address that appeared in the long listings of hundreds of identical library addresses. The unusual IP address did not
match the IP addresses associated with the library.
Investigators researched the unusual IP address. They found that it was associated with a computer e-mail kiosk at a
convenience store in Phoenix. The store was not far from the main downtown public library. The convenience store has
a small podium-like stand with a computer attached that permits users to insert money and then log-in and check email.
Fortunately for investigators, the store also maintains a video tape recording system that preserves images of
customers. Investigators retrieved video tapes from the store that depicted a person using the computer at the same
date and time that the IP records had indicated “ugofif” had been there.
The convenience store video showed images of an unidentified person – probably “ugofif”, but investigators still did not
know his true identity. Using the images, investigators then began covert surveillance at the downtown branch of the
library, looking for the person in the picture. The library has dozens of computers located on three different floors of the
building.
On December 30, 2005, a person resembling the man depicted on the store video was observed using a library
computer at the downtown library. Covert surveillance was conducted for two hours as the man moved about and used
seven different library computers. Initial surveillance could not confirm that the person was in fact "ugofif". The library did
not require users to provide any proof of identity in order to use the computers and investigators later learned that the
computers have software set to eliminate evidence shortly after a patron departs.
When the man left the library, investigators followed afoot. A few blocks from the library he was detained temporarily
under a pretext and he presented identification with the name Taurean Allmon. Allmon said that he was transient and
living at the nearby homeless shelter.
A search warrant was prepared for the purpose of seizing the seven library computers that had been used by Allmon.
The purpose of the seizure was to attempt to determine with certainty whether or not Allmon was “ugofif” – also know as
“Billy Corgan”. On January 5, 2006, the search warrant was ready. Detectives planned to wait for Allmon to use a
computer at the library, detain him, and then seize the computers listed in the warrant. Detectives watched for two days
but Allmon did not return to the library. Finally, on January 6, the warrant was served and ten computers were seized.
Allmon’s whereabouts were unknown.
Undercover on-line investigators continued working the case and learned that Allmon had traveled to California for a
temporary laborer job. While in California, Allmon had used various library and motel computers while continuing to
traffic child pornography. Investigators learned that Allmon said that he would return to Phoenix sometime in February.
On February 9, 2006 Allmon was spotted in Phoenix by an alert AZ ICAC investigator who saw him walking on the street
near the library. AZ ICAC investigators converged, and Allmon was taken into custody without incident as he sat at a
library computer. The computer he was using still displayed the Yahoo screen name “ugofif” when he was arrested.
Allmon had removable media storage devices in his possession that were seized by detectives. He made admissions
to crimes amounting to the possession of child pornography, and possession with intent to sell child pornography.
Computer forensic analysis of the computer storage media seized from Allmon revealed numerous disturbing images
of child pornography involving children as young as five years old.
The computer forensic analysis of 17 computers seized from the library proved unproductive because the computers
contain special software that quickly eliminates or over-writes evidence that might have helped investigators.
After his February 9, 2006 arrest, the 21 year old Allmon remained in custody with a $198,000 bond. Criminal charges
were filed through the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.
On March 9, 2007 Allmon pled guilty to one felony count of sexual exploitation of a minor and one felony count of
attempted sexual exploitation of a minor. Allmon will serve ten years in prison followed by lifetime probation and
registration as a sex offender.
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Wisconsin - Library pornography
By Jody Ambroz, TJM News Channel 4, September 20, 2005
Milwaukee, Wisconsin - Another big investigation to tell you about: people surfing for porn in public libraries. The porn is
showing up more often than you may think. Our Jody Ambroz (TJM News Channel 4, Milwaukee, Wisconsin) has the
hidden camera investigation.
A shot of a naked woman is just the start of what Today’s TMJ4 found. Our hidden camera catches a man checking out
porn at the Racine Public Library. We find another man clicking on more dirty pictures without a care until we confront
him. The man told us, “I wasn’t trying to do this at the library. I was checking my e-mail and it was all spam.”
Spam or not, many people think the disturbing photos we discovered have no place at the library. Racine parent
Theresa Delarosa said, “It’s wrong. It’s wrong and it should stop.” Parents bring their kids to the library to check out
books, not porn. Another Racine parent Jay Orr told us, “I saw my 6 year-old daughter. She actually saw another child
looking at porn when she was here last month.” Parents are appalled.
One Racine Library security guard we spoke with told us she sees porn popping up on the computers at least twice a
week. She even reported one guy to police after finding him looking at child porn. Security Guard Danielle Williams said,
“It’s caused a lot of problems with kids, and grown-ups, and parents coming up, sitting with their kids, having questions
about it, saying it’s wrong.”
Adult pornography popping up on public computers may be offensive, but it’s not illegal. It’s up to individual libraries to
decide what to do about all this trash. Racine Library Board President Cheri Esch said, “We’re going to get as much
information as much data, and study the policy.” The current policy at the Racine Library says it’s unacceptable to use
computers to display obscene material. But only the courts can determine what’s actually “obscene”. One solution is
installing filters to block the porn, but not everyone supports this. Esch said, “There are some (legitimate) things that you
could not find if it was a specific kind of filter.”
Racine does filter its’ children’s computers. The Wauwatosa Library has a similar set-up. But when we took our hidden
camera inside there, we didn’t find anyone looking at dirty pictures. We also checked into policies in Waukesha and in
Milwaukee. Both of those libraries use filters on all of their computers. Milwaukee Public Library Manager Bruce Gay
said, “Overall, I’d say our filter is above average. Not that there are no problems, but we do okay with it.” Gay has only
taken a handful of porn complaints. His staff doesn’t want to find what our hidden camera did in Racine—people looking
at porn in public.
If you find someone looking at porn at any library in our area, tell the staff. If they see it, they usually ask the person to
leave. The Racine Library Board is asking for public input on its’ computer policy and whether they should install filters
on all computers.
Retrieved February 19, 2006 from http://www.touchtmj4.com/_content/News/coverstory/stories/20050920.asp
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Florida - Librarian suspended after patrons visit porno sites
Associated Press, Aug 13, 2005
Valparaiso, Florida - A Florida Panhandle librarian has been suspended and may be fired by officials upset that a
registered sex offender and three boys allegedly used the city library's computers to access pornographic Internet sites."
"City Commissioner Robert Billingsley said he will ask the commission to dismiss Martin but declined to elaborate on
why he thinks she failed to do enough to keep patrons from using the computers to find pornography. Hard drives have
been removed from the computers and the public has been prohibited from using them until further notice." "'We
continually enforce our policy by monitoring all computers," she (Martin) wrote. "Any suspicious use is immediately
checked by accessing the history of the patrons' Web use. In addition, the staff monitors the patrons' use by
'walkthroughs' of the computer areas.' The library's Internet policy forbids using computers for 'illegal or fraudulent
activity' or displaying 'images which other library users may find offensive to view.'"
Retrieved February 19, 2006 from http://www.tampabaylive.com/stories/2005/08/050812pornosites.shtml
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New York - Sexual predator ordered back to prison; Had photos, written fantasies
by Torsten Ove, The Post-Standard, October 23, 2004
Syracuse, New York - A Syracuse man charged with using a public library to download child pornography last year
avoided a trial by pleading guilty Friday.
Wayne E. Harding, 50, of 469 James St., pleaded guilty before Onondaga County Judge Anthony Aloi to a single felony
count of possessing a sexual performance by a child in the discovery of child pornography on a computer at Upstate
Medical University's Health Sciences Library at Weiskotten Hall.
Assistant District Attorney Gary Dawson said it was the first local prosecution of a defendant on criminal charges relating
to pornography on a public computer. The trial was expected to begin Monday. Harding was facing 12 counts of
possessing the sexual performance of a child as a result of the dozen images he accessed on the library's computer
Feb.27, 2003, prosecutors said. The images depicted someone younger than 16 engaged in sexually explicit activity.
The case was expected to come down to a battle of computer experts in court next week as the sides wrangled over
whether the evidence was sufficient to link Harding to the computer containing the pornographic images.
"I thought I could win," defense lawyer Eric Jeschke said Friday as he left court following Harding's guilty plea. That plea,
Jeschke said, had come "as a complete surprise to me."
Jeschke said he and Harding were in court Friday morning only to have the defendant waive his right to a jury trial so
Aloi alone would preside over the trial set to begin Monday. Harding opted to plead guilty in a deal that calls for him to
be sentenced to 1 1/2 to three years in prison, Jeschke said.
According to Dawson, a number of students had complained to the librarian about "a dirty old man" viewing pictures of
nude and partially clothed children on the library's computer. Campus security was notified after the librarian watched for
about 10 minutes as the man viewed similar types of images, Dawson said.
A security officer also watched as the suspect continued to view pornographic images on the computer before
confronting him, Dawson said. Harding claimed the images had accidentally come on as "pop ups" and that he was
equally offended by them, the prosecutor said. Authorities issued Harding a trespass notice barring him from returning
to the library and escorted him from the building, Dawson said.
In writing up a report of the incident, security officials discovered that Harding was registered as a Level 3 sex offender
on the sex offender registry, the prosecutor said. Upon further investigation, officials discovered Harding also was on
federal supervised release for a child pornography conviction. Federal officials were notified and the library computer
was seized and sent out for examination, Dawson said.
According to the prosecutor, authorities discovered a great deal of "child erotica" images on the computer in addition to a
number of images that would be considered pornographic. Twelve of those pornographic images were accessed on the
computer the day Harding was escorted from the library, Dawson said.
Those pornographic images had been accessed about five hours before Harding was escorted from the premises, but
witnesses placed Harding in the library at that computer for that entire period, Dawson said. But Jeschke said the
evidence showed those 12 images had last been accessed in only about a 40-second time period and he said he was
prepared to have a computer expert testify there was no way to show that the images had actually been called up on the
computer screen and viewed by anyone in particular.
The defense also was challenging whether Harding had any control over the computer images. But Dawson was
prepared to show that he did, based on evidence that during the time Harding was on the computer, some of the erotic
images had been uploaded to another computer by the user.
The two sides had been preparing to battle in court even though Harding had admitted possessing child pornography
when he pleaded guilty in federal court to violating his release on supervised probation and was sentenced to eight
months in prison, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Lisa Fletcher.
Fletcher said Harding was supposed to have no contact with a computer at all as a condition of his release on the prior
child pornography conviction. Aloi had ruled, however, that the admission to the probation violation could not be used as
evidence against Harding in the County Court pornography-possession case, Dawson said.
http://www.syracuse.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-18/109852194193270.xml?syrneocit
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Nevada -Child porn case spotlights libraries’ Internet policies
By, Martha Bellisle, Reno Gazette Journal, April 13, 2005
Reno, Nevada - Whenever staff at the county library passed near Jeffrey Olson as he scrolled through Internet sites, he
would quickly change his screen, but when a nearby computer user saw pictures of naked children, he called the sheriff’
s office.
Olson, 30, who was using one of the Washoe County Library’s adult, nonfiltered computers in northwest Reno to
download child pornography, was arrested and charged with 13 counts of possession.
He pleaded guilty to two counts, and on Tuesday was sentenced to five years of probation, a punishment both the
prosecution and defense agreed was appropriate for someone who had no criminal record and wasn’t likely to hurt
anyone.
While his case drew little media attention, it sparked intense discussions among library officials about how to handle
suspected illegal behavior by computer users.
The issue, the first of its kind in Washoe County, ultimately provoked the county library’s Board of Trustees this year to
change procedures for handling suspicious activity on the Internet so that library visitors can continue to enjoy their
intellectual freedom while illegal conduct is halted, said Dianne Varnon, manager of the northwest Reno library.
Before Olson’s arrest, library staff members were uncertain about whether they needed solid proof of illegal behavior
before calling in law enforcement. Now, the staff has a list of guidelines to follow when suspicions are sparked, Varnon
said.
The staff members are now encouraged to call 911, notify managers, preserve evidence, turn off the computer’s monitor
and even remove the computer’s mouse and keyboard or disconnect the Ethernet cable if appropriate, according to the
official procedures.
“We take Internet use very seriously, particularly how children might interact with the Internet,” Varnon said. The board
sought to ensure safe use of their computers, while “balancing that against a person’s right to reach sites that they need
to reach.”
Olson had been viewing questionable sites at the library’s northwest branch on several occasions, said Chief Deputy
District Attorney Dave Clifton, but was not caught until the man using the computer near him called in the sheriff Sept.
29. “We didn’t get him the first time,” Clifton said.
Once the sheriff’s office became involved, deputies searched Olson’s personal computer and found pictures that he had
brought home to view, Clifton said. Olson’s lawyer, Shelly O’Neill, said he is “young and very naïve for his age” and didn’t
realize the serious nature of his actions. She also said the worst offenders are getting away with the worst crime.
“I adamantly believe that people like my client are the least culpable in these cases,” she said. “The most culpable are
the people who create the pornography in the first place. “It seems like the very bad actors are escaping prosecution.”
“That’s one thing we’re working on,” said Jeff Clark, a detective with the Washoe County Sheriff’s Office who handles
Internet crimes. “But the Internet thing is so much bigger than anyone can imagine.”
While the FBI investigates the sources of the sites, his agency focuses on the users, he said. And it does not take much
to commit a crime, he said. “As soon as you bring child pornography on to your computer, that’s when it becomes
illegal,” he said, adding it does not have to be downloaded to be against the law.
But O’Neill said the question of whether viewing actually qualifies as possession under the law has not been tested. Like
many of the legal issues surrounding the Internet, much is unsettled, she said.
“The technology is exceeding the legal research and court rulings,” she said. “It’s happening fast.” One area that has
been clarified came from a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in 2003. Congress had passed the Children’s Internet Protection
Act in 2000, stating that libraries that fail to use filtering software on their computers cannot have access to certain
federal funds. A federal judge ruled the law unconstitutional, but on appeal, the high court said the law was valid. In
response to the ruling, Washoe County library officials reviewed their options and decided to use filters on some
computers, but not all, said Larry Schritchfield, the county’s Internet services librarian.
In the northwest branch, for example, the library has 13 computers with Internet access, Varnon said. Six are adult-only,
nonfiltered machines, while seven have filters, she said. Children wishing to use nonfiltered computers must have
parental approval, she said.
That decision meant the loss of some funding, Schritchfield said, but that was acceptable. “We weren’t getting that much
funding to begin with,” he said, “and the application process was onerous. “Filters work imperfectly,” he added. “They let
some things through that you don’t want, and block other things that are legitimate.”
http://www.rgj.com/news/stories/html/2005/04/13/96978.php
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Massachusetts - Former library director indicted on porn, assault charges
From The Salem News, July 14, 2005
Salem, Massachusetts - The former director of Beverly's public library has been indicted on child pornography and other
charges in connection with a relationship he had with a teenage boy he met at the library.
Thomas Scully, 56, was indicted on Wednesday on seven counts of possession of child pornography, as well as
indecent assault and battery and disseminating material harmful to a minor.
Scully was director for 19 years until he retired earlier this year two weeks after he was charged. Scully allegedly met the
then 15-year-old boy at the library two years ago while the boy was visiting a sexually explicit chat room on a library
computer. Scully invited the boy to his home where he showed him gay pornographic movies and allowed him access to
X-rated Web sites, prosecutors said.
The boy said he visited Scully's home hundreds of times. Police learned of the relationship when the boy's foster father
reported that Scully gave the boy gifts. During one visit, Scully allegedly grabbed the boy's buttocks, prosecutors said.
Scully's lawyer has said his client is innocent.
The indictments move the case from the district court to Salem Superior Court, where he will be arraigned within the
several weeks. Scully has been free on his own recognizance since April, under the condition that he stay away from the
Beverly Public Library as well as the boy and his family.
Information from: The Salem News, http://www.salemnews.com/
http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2005/07/14/former_li
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Iowa - Library sex offender incident fuels Internet filter push: Offender viewed porn on library computers
From the Des Moines Register (online). By Abby Simons, November 21, 2005
A homeless sex offender accused of molesting a toddler in a Des Moines library restroom last month told police he used
library computers to view pornography many times.
Even if that's true, James Effler Jr. didn't violate any laws or break library rules. The Effler case gives fuel to groups that
push for Internet filters intended to block pornographic Web sites at libraries - a position opposed by some librarian
associations despite the risk of losing federal money.
"This is a sad thing. Children are being raped and molested in public libraries, and it's often a result of pornography
being available to people in public libraries," said Dan Kleinman. He is the founder of the Chatham, N.J.-based Plan 2
Succeed citizens group, which largely opposes the American Library Association's position and seeks to filter library
computers. "It's reoccurring in these communities. It's not frequent, but reoccurring."
Kleinman could not provide proof that women and children are victimized by offenders who become aroused by looking
at inappropriate material in libraries, saying: "I'm not a doctor. Just look at the news." He cited testimony in Congress last
year by Judith Reisman, president of the Institute for Media Education, who told a Senate committee that pornography is
addictive and triggers primal sexual urges.
The Iowa Library Association, though, supports open access to legal information, said President Katherine Martin, head
of collection management and special services at the University of Northern Iowa's Rod Library. Martin said that includes
legal pornography, if other library patrons are protected from seeing the material. Most pornography is legal, but
sexually oriented material depicting minors is illegal.
"I believe individuals have a right to view what they want as long as it's not in violation of the law, but I do believe
arrangements should be made for privacy or to avoid offending others at computer workstations," Martin said.
Another objection to filters is that they can block useful sites for someone researching legitimate topics or medical
conditions.
A spot check of Des Moines metro area libraries found that to protect patrons' privacy, Internet search histories are not
kept.
The Des Moines Register filed a request under the Iowa open-records law to determine which Web sites were visited by
public library patrons in Des Moines, Johnston and West Des Moines.
Library directors in Des Moines and West Des Moines, in response to the request, said the history of sites visited is
automatically deleted after each user logs out of a session in order to protect privacy. Public library computers in
Johnston also do not maintain a history of sites visited.
Kathleen Richardson, director of the Iowa Freedom of Information Council, said that in light of the efforts public libraries
take to fiercely guard freedom of speech, the effort to protect patron privacy is not surprising and is likely legitimate. "It
appears they're being very protective of the privacy rights of their patrons, which is their responsibility," Richardson said
of the librarians contacted.
In some cases, sex offenders have been arrested in conjunction with their use of computers at libraries. In June, Texas
authorities revoked the probation of a convicted sex offender after teenagers at a San Antonio library saw him looking at
child pornography on a computer. Investigators seized a disk containing images of child pornography he had
downloaded. In July, a Lincoln, Neb., man was charged with possession of child pornography after allegedly printing
images from a computer at a public library.
Des Moines Police Detective Tom Follett said Effler told police he entered the library Oct. 4 planning to use a computer
to look at porn but had not logged on before the 20-month-old girl was snatched from the floor near her baby sitter, who
was using a computer. The child was taken into a restroom and assaulted. After library workers rescued the girl and held
the restroom door shut, police arrested Effler on charges of first-degree kidnapping, second-degree sexual assault and
failure to comply with rules of the Iowa Sex Offender Registry, because he was not living at the address listed there.
According to a 2004 survey by the Information Use Management and Policy Institute, about 14 percent of Iowa's 543
public libraries and 26 branches use filters on each library computer. The survey said about 77 percent do not filter at
all, while 7 percent use a blanket filter for all computers in the library.
National statistics show that 52 percent of libraries do not filter Internet-ready computers, while about 17 percent use a
filter on each computer. In 2003, the U.S. Supreme Court said the federal government can withhold money from public
libraries that do not use filtering devices under the Children's Internet Protection Act.
Retrieved February 19, 2006 from http://desmoinesregister.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?
AID=/20051121/NEWS01/511210330/1001/NEWS06
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Arizona - Convicted child pornography suspect arrested again In Arizona- Used ASU Library computers to offend
Sunday, May 08, 2005
Arrested person: Paul Daniel Somers, w/m age 30
Location of offense: Arizona State University (ASU), Hayden Library, Tempe, AZ
Offense: Sexual exploitation of a minor (child pornography) (10 counts)
Lead agency: ASU P.D. / Arizona ICAC Task Force
On 05-08-05, at approximately 1549 hours, the Arizona State University Police Department received a call from Hayden
Library staff that an individual was viewing child pornography on a computer. Officers arrived and caught suspect Paul
Somers in the act. When he saw the officers, Somers tried to close out the screens that were open. Officers detained
Somers and a Detective was summoned to the scene. The detective viewed the images and determined them to be in
violation of ARS 13-3553. The computer was seized and Somers was arrested. Further investigation revealed that
Somers was released from Arizona Department of Corrections on 4-29-05 (8 days ago) and is currently on parole for
sexual exploitation of a minor and possession of stolen property. Somers was booked into the Maricopa County Jail for
10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor. Bond was set at $54,000 and there is an Arizona Department of Corrections
hold on him.
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Arizona - Repeat offender views child pornography at ASU Library
February 4, 2005
Arrested person: Michael Dennis Williams, w/m, age 44
Location of offense: Arizona State University (ASU), Hayden Library, Tempe AZ
Suspect’s residence/search warrant: Central Phoenix, Arizona
Offense: Sexual exploitation of a minor (child pornography) (8 counts)
On 2/4/05 at 2025 hours, Michael D. Williams, a 44 year old registered sex offender with prior child pornography
convictions in Oregon and Tennessee, was arrested and booked by ASU Police for 8 counts of sexual exploitation of a
minor (child pornography). Williams' offenses were facilitated through his repeated use of computers at the ASU Hayden
Library in Tempe.
The investigation began on 2/1/05 at 1700 hours when ASU Police received information that Williams was viewing
sexually explicit images of underage children while at the ASU Library. Williams was contacted by investigators and he
consented to the release of three USB memory storage devices found in his possession. The devices were examined
and thousands of images of children were discovered.
A search warrant was served at Williams’ residence in the 700 block of West Washington street in Phoenix. Additional
evidence was seized. William was arrested at a Phoenix rental car agency near Sky Harbor airport where he was
employed as a vehicle maintenance person.
When asked why he chose to travel to the ASU library in Tempe instead of using the closer Phoenix Public Library
computers, Williams stated: "It's easier at ASU". He also said, "At the Phoenix library they limit your usage to one hour."
Investigators noted that Williams used a computer in a somewhat secluded area of the ASU library where he could traffic
his child pornography collection in relative privacy.
William is currently being held on $108,000 bond at the Maricopa County Jail, Phoenix, AZ.
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Indiana - Muncie Public Library
April 26, 2005
Based on information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, investigators tracked a child
pornography suspect to Indiana. Investigators leaned that the suspect was using computers specifically at universities
and public libraries. Investigators searched Motor Vehicle records and were able to obtain more accurate information
regarding the suspect’s location, as well as a possible picture of him from a driver’s license.
Investigators with the Indiana Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force alerted the Muncie Police Department, as
well as several public libraries, of the suspect’s alleged activities and provided a possible photograph. One hour after
the alert was issued, a librarian from the Muncie Public Library contacted law enforcement and informed them that the
alleged suspect was possibly at the library. Investigators with the Muncie Police Department responded to this lead and
found the alleged suspect sitting at a computer, downloading what appeared to be pornographic images depicting
young children. Upon announcing themselves, the suspect immediately stated “That disk in the computer is mine.”
The suspect was interviewed by police and provided them with all of his screen names. He also admitted to uploading
child pornography on numerous occasions using Yahoo! Groups.
The suspect was taken into custody and was in possession of 3 computer discs containing 3 digital movies of child
pornography, 706 digital images of child pornography, and 186 stories describing sexual encounters between adults
and children. A search of the suspect’s residence revealed hundreds of compact disks and three computers. A preview
of these items showed over 10,000 digital images of child pornography. The suspect lived at home with his father and
admitted to collecting child pornography for approximately two years.
On March 11, 2005, the 39-year-old suspect was charged with one count of Child Exploitation and one count of
Possession of Child Pornography. He faces up to eight years in prison and a $20,000 fine. He is currently being held at
the Delaware County Jail.
see: http://www.libraryjournal.com/article/CA511830?
display=NewsNews&industry=News&industryid=1986&verticalid=151
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Pennsylvania - After library rape, suspect told Rev., "I need help"
After he admitted attacking an 8-year-old girl in a library bathroom over the weekend, Brian McCutcheon told his pastor that he
had been struggling “his whole life” to overcome his dark desires. “I need help, I need help,” he told Robert Knox, after the
pastor helped him surrender to police on Sunday.
“He knew he had tendencies to be a pedophile, and he was struggling with it,” said Knox.
McCutcheon, a 23-year-old homeless man, allegedly gave in to those tendencies Saturday afternoon, when police say he
followed the girl into the bathroom in Center City and brutally attacked her. In 2000, McCutcheon was arrested for a similar
attack on a 9-year-old girl in a rec center bathroom in Manayunk. He served seven months in prison.
Knox, a parish pastor at Fellowship Tabernacle Community Church in North Philadelphia — where McCutcheon regularly
attended an outreach program for the homeless — said McCutcheon had never come to him about his tendencies. After talking
with McCutcheon about the attack, Knox understood why. “He was ashamed of it,” Knox said.
And as they sat together at the police Special Victims Unit, McCutcheon “wept bitterly,” and asked again and again, “Is she all
right?” Knox said he talked to McCutcheon’s family yesterday, and they had no idea their son might assault young girls. “They
are very, very troubled by what happened,” Knox said. “They are praying for the young lady.”
The brutal attack at the Philadelphia Free Library’s Independence branch, on 7th Street near Market, left the girl in critical
condition with injuries to her neck, shoulders, eyes and buttocks. Her condition was upgraded to stable yesterday at Children’s
Hospital of Philadelphia.
McCutcheon has been charged with rape, attempted murder and other counts, and is being held on $1 million bail. When
McCutcheon tried to sexually assault the girl in the rec center bathroom several years ago, she screamed, and he ran out. But
on Saturday, when he attacked again, McCutcheon didn’t take any chances. This time, he choked his young victim to quiet her
screams, he admitted in a confession topolice.
The girl was later found unconscious by another child. There was semen on her leg that matched McCutcheon’s DNA, police
said. McCutcheon also revealed to police how he was able to get into the bathroom to attack the girl.
As she entered, “he walked right in behind her,” police said. A bathroom key — possibly used by the girl to get in — was later
found on the floor. She apparently had gotten the key from the front desk. It wasn’t clear how long the attack lasted. But
McCutcheon said he fled only after hearing what he thought was the sound of someone else coming in.
The bathroom door is in a hallway, but can be seen from some sections of the library branch’s main room. It appears that
McCutcheon was very familiar with that branch — and others.
After he was banned from the library’s central branch last summer for using computers to look at pornography, he began
frequenting the Independence branch, as well as the one on Rittenhouse Square, according to a library spokeswoman. The
ban only applied to the central branch, said the spokeswoman, Linda Carroll-Pitts. He had not caused any problems at the
other two branches, she said.
McCutcheon apparently was adept at using library computers to access pornography. In July 2002, when Fox News (Channel
29) walked into a branch to do a story on the subject, they found McCutcheon — who willingly put on an impromptu
demonstration for the camera.
McCutcheon sometimes shared his interest in the library with people at the North Philadelphia church, on Broad Street near
Belfield Avenue. One church member said McCutcheon once invited her to a library poetry reading, where he planned to do a
tribute to his mother.
And he sometimes handed out information about library events to church members, she said. Several hours after Saturday’s
attack, McCutcheon called Knox and told him he had done “something bad,” the pastor said. The next day, they went to the
police together.
A source said McCutcheon was remorseful in his confession. He “wanted to get it off his chest,” the source said. Knox said
McCutcheon told him later that he felt comfortable talking to the detectives at Special Victims, who treated him with respect.
“They made it easy for me,” McCutcheon told Knox.
The girl attacked on Saturday lived in Chinatown, about five blocks from the library. She had gone there with her grandmother
and two other children, and went to the restroom by herself between 4:15 p.m. and 4:30 p.m., police said. Staff Writer Nicole
Weisensee Egan contributed to this report.
By Catherine Lucey & Scott Flander, luceyc@phillynews.com, From The Philadelphia Daily News - on line
Posted Wednesday, February 11, 2004. source: http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/7927690.htm
retrieved February 29, 2004
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New Jersey - Teacher sentenced in library child pornography case
A sixth-grade science teacher has been sentenced to three years probation and banned from teaching for for using a school
library computer to download child pornography. Officials at Roy W. Brown Middle School contacted police in December after
discovering a library computer appeared to have been used to access pornographic Internet sites with images of children
and teenagers. Computer technicians with the school and police determined the sites had been accessed before school hours,
when no one was in the library.
Retrieved March 03, 2003 from http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/032203_nw_teachporn.html
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Pennsylvania - 60 year old faces porn charges - Accused of downloading at library
Scranton, Pennsylvania, 04/03/03
A preliminary hearing has been continued in Lackawanna County for a man charged with downloading child pornography from
a computer at the Scranton Public Library.
Investigators say 60-year-old Michael Baranow downloaded the pictures from the computer on March 13th. Baranow has been
arrested in the past. Authorities say he served three years in the Wayne County Prison for sexual abuse and possession of
obscene material. No new date has been set for the hearing.
Retrieved April 3, 2003 from http://abclocal.go.com/wpvi/news/04032003_nw_libraryporn.html
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New Hampshire - Library porn suspect sent back to jail
Clinton - With alleged child pornographer Joseph Aurora returned to a Keene, N.H., jail after less than a day of freedom, Clinton
police are awaiting his extradition to Connecticut to face new charges. In a continuing police investigation of Aurora’s alleged
sexual exploitation of young boys over the past decade, the 42-year-old Clinton man was being held Friday in lieu of $100,000
bail.
Charged last Friday with child pornography and related crimes after being caught in an Internet sting operation by Keene
police, Aurora, a former state employee and freelance bowling instructor, now is wanted in Connecticut to face five counts of risk
of injury to a minor child and five counts of voyeurism.
The Connecticut charges are based on interviews with some of Aurora’s alleged victims and their parents, and on the results of
a review of some of the nearly 400 videotapes removed from Aurora’s 11 Jefferson Circle home last Friday, police say. Notified
by Keene police Thursday morning that Aurora had been released after posting $10,000 bail, Connecticut prosecutors
expedited the arrest warrants requested by Clinton police to "protect potential victims from what had occurred in the past" in the
event of his return to Connecticut, Clinton police Maj. John Welch explained.
With the warrants in hand late Thursday afternoon, police then were notified by a parent that Aurora had sent one of his alleged
victims an e-mail message that Welch described as expressing remorse. "He said he wanted to apologize for what he had
done," Welch said. As far as police are aware, Aurora sent just the one message. "There could be others," Welch said. "One was
enough for us."
After searching the Keene library, where police say a computer was used to send the e-mail message, Keene police that
evening caught Aurora as he walked a street in the southwestern New Hampshire city. He was arrested for allegedly violating
the terms of release on bond by contacting the youth. Clinton police were hoping to return Aurora to Connecticut Monday, but
officials in Keene District Court said his extradition from New Hampshire was not raised in his court appearance Thursday.
Aurora could agree to waive extradition proceedings for his return, police and prosecutors say, but it was not clear when that
issue might be raised. Without his agreement, Clinton police must request a governor’s warrant for his return. Assistant State’s
Attorney Maureen Platt, who signed the Connecticut warrants for Aurora’s arrest, said she could not discuss how the extradition
process might proceed in Aurora’s case. He is scheduled to appear in Keene District Court June 18, court officials report.
The Connecticut warrants may be the first of others to follow, as police and computer specialists continue their investigation of
Aurora’s videotapes and computer, and as individuals continue to come forward with complaints, police said. In a joint, six-week
investigation by Keene and Clinton police, Aurora was arrested last Friday at a Keene motel room he equipped with video
cameras and where he expected to meet a 14-year-old boy with whom he corresponded in an Internet chat room, Keene police
reported.
The Keene "boy" to whom Aurora had been sending child pornography instead was a detective running the department’s sting
operation for sexual predators on the Internet, police explained.
By Stan Fisher, May 10, 2003. Retrieved May 10, 2003 from http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?
newsid=7971774&BRD=1645&PAG=461&dept_id=33198&rfi=6
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Virginia - Man caught downloading child pornography at library
From the freelancestar.com. By Frank Hammon. 08/29/03.
A worker with a traveling carnival-ride company is spending some time behind bars after allegedly downloading child
pornography from the Internet. Caroline County Sheriff Homer Johnson said a retired police officer visiting the Ladysmith
Library allegedly saw Scott Beard, 55, of North Carolina looking at child pornography and downloading it to discs.
Upon investigation, deputies confiscated 30 discs containing child pornography and numerous photos of young boys from
Beard, Johnson said. The sheriff said Beard had been visiting the library daily from 10:30 a.m. until 4:30 p.m. Beard also had
been photographing young boys who were riding the Green Dragon ride at the Caroline County Fair last weekend, Johnson
said.
Beard, who operated the ride for a company in Franklinton, N.C., was charged with one count of possession of child
pornography, the sheriff said. Authorities are investigating whether Beard may have downloaded child pornography at other
locations where the ride company did business.
Frank Hammon, WFLS News, Date published: 8/29/2003. Retrieved August 29, 2003 from http://www.freelancestar.
com/News/FLS/2003/082003/08292003/1085206
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Arizona - Phoenix librarian downloaded and distributed child pornography at work
On March 20, 2004, Jesse Orlando Albin, a 24 year old former circulation attendant at the Century Branch of the Phoenix Public
Library in Arizona was sentenced by Judge Reinstein of the Maricopa County Superior Court. After an exhausting series of
unsuccessful defense appeals, Albin plead guilty to reduced charges consisting of two counts of attempted sexual exploitation
of minors (child pornography).
Albin will serve five years in prison and lifetime probation. He will be required to register as a sex offender, provide a DNA
sample, and abide by special probationary restrictions related to his future use of computers.
The case began in April 2002, when the Phoenix Police Department received a report that Albin duplicated and distributed
child pornography using computers at the Phoenix Arizona Public Library Century Branch at 1750 E. Highland. A witness
provide police with a compact disk said to contain child pornography that was alleged to have been produced by Albin. Further
investigation confirmed the allegations. As the investigation continued it was learned that Albin produced and distributed
another disk containing child pornography that was also turned over to police.
In June, 2002, search warrants were served at the library and also at Albin's residence. Computers, documents and media were
seized. A disk containing more child pornography was seized from Albin's employee locker.
At the time of the search warrant, a library administrator advised investigators that Albin had once received supervisory
counseling for improper computer use when he hacked the library computer network and improperly used file transfer
programs. The library had never informed police of this felony computer tampering offense.
Albin was interviewed and admitted that he used library computers to view and download images of children. A pediatrician
examined numerous contraband images uncovered by investigators and confirmed that the children depicted were minors,
many of whom were under fifteen years of age, some of whom were engaged in sex acts. These children are not yet identified.
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Massachusetts - Sex offender told to stay away from library
Lowell, Massachusetts - A Superior Court judge ordered Brian C. Mandigo, a level-3 sex offender, to stay away from Lowell's
Pollard Library, where he was spotted using a computer around two boys and viewing adult pornography. Mandigo, 45, who lists
the homeless shelter on Middlesex Street as his address, was found in the library March 3 using the computer while sitting
between two boys, ages 7 and 10 or 11, according to Probation Officer Claire Fogg. Mandigo, formerly of Haverhill, was
convicted in 1987 of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14 in Epping, N.H., according to the Lowell Police
Department's Web site. In 1998, he was sentenced to five years in state prison after he was found guilty of trying to lure a 10-
year-old girl into his car in Essex County. Judge Regina Quinlan sentenced Mandigo to prison on an attempted-kidnapping
charge and 20 years probation for simple assault. A status hearing is scheduled for April 27.
retrieved July 17, 2004 from http://www.lowellsun.com/Stories/0,1413,105~4761~2068537,00.html
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California - Complaint from patron leads to library changes
A complaint about patrons viewing pornographic material on the Internet at the Oak Park Library has led to changes in the way
the library, which serves both the public and Oak Park High School, allows computer access. "A parent who was in with some
little ones somehow observed a patron who was looking at an adult Web site," said Lynn McCormack, principal of Oak Park
High School, where the library is located. The parent was told that, because of freedoms granted under the First Amendment,
adults are allowed to view whatever they like as long as it is not illegal.
The library made changes to ensure the situation would not be repeated. "We rearranged things and set up two terminals so
that accidental viewing is impossible," said McCormack. The incident in Oak Park has raised questions about how libraries can
meet the interests of their adult patrons while protecting children from seeing what they shouldn't. "Parents just want to be sure
that children are not accidentally exposed to inappropriate sites, adult Web sites, pornography or whatever," McCormack said,
"while we have to not trample on the First Amendment rights of adult patrons. "We believe we have good strategies to make
sure everyone has a good comfort level in the library." McCormack said she has been told that there are at least two patrons
who come in regularly to view pornographic Web sites. Now, two terminals are set up with a wall behind them and privacy
screens on the monitors, so the screens can be seen only straight on.
McCormack said she feels the problem has been solved to everyone's satisfaction, but the library is considering surrounding
the terminals with cubicles for even more privacy. Starrett Kreissman, director of library services for Ventura County, said the
Libertarian Party sued the Ventura County library system to allow unfiltered and unmonitored Internet access for adults. In
1998, the county agreed to a settlement that allows adults to view any site as long as the content is not illegal. Kreissman said
she hasn't heard of many complaints about patrons viewing pornography at the 16 branch libraries in the system. "We have
had the odd complaint here or there," Kreissman said. "We have moved computers, brought in privacy screens and required
their use. "These things have worked in most places," she added. Kreissman said that computers in children's areas have
software filters that block users from visiting inappropriate Web sites, but they aren't perfect. "The filtering company decides
what is filtered; that's been one of the biggest problems," Kreissman said.
Kreissman said that students may not be able to access Web sites because they are using search terms that have been filtered
out. She gave the example of searching for "breast cancer," which would be blocked. Kreissman said that her staff does not
modify the filters for children but may use their own terminals to help them do research if they are having difficulty. Steve
Brogden, director of the Thousand Oaks and Newbury Park libraries, agreed that filters can't do everything. "They give you a
false sense of security," said Brogden. Brogden said software filters block some inoffensive Web sites while letting some
inappropriate sites through.
The Thousand Oaks libraries' computers are not filtered but have a strict policy requiring that children in sixth grade and below
must be accompanied by a parent when using the Internet. Brogden said those in seventh grade up to age 17 may use the
Internet unsupervised if their parents sign a permission slip. He also said the computers have privacy shields on the monitors
so no one but the user can see the screen. Reference librarian Margaret Douglas, who assists patrons using the Internet
computers, said "very, very few" patrons view pornography. Douglas said if there is a complaint, the patron is asked to log off the
computer and leave and may lose library Internet privileges. At the three Oxnard libraries, Internet terminals are filtered, and
patrons must ask librarians to unblock individual sites, said Barbara Murray, library director. Blanchard/Santa Paula reference
librarian Paula Clarke said because of her library's tight quarters, adults and children often end up sitting next to each other to
use computers. She said if adults are looking at content inappropriate for children, librarians remind them that there are young
people present, and the adults comply very quickly. Clarke said her experience has been that most patrons are chagrined
when they end up at a pornographic Web site. "They get to the sites accidentally and they come tell us, 'No, no, no, it wasn't me,
I didn't mean to!' " Clarke said.
Retrieved March 10, 2005 from URL: http://www.venturacountystar.com/vcs/county_news/article/0,1375,VCS_226_3580775,00.
html
By Sue Davis, sdavis@VenturaCountyStar.com February 27, 2005
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Arizona State University libraries continue to permit child pornography
by Brian Indrelunas. March 8, 2005.
ASU porn computing policies unlikely to change - Recent incidents not enough to alter rules at University
Despite two reported incidents of people viewing sexual images of children at ASU libraries in February, no changes are
planned for the libraries' computing policies. A female student reported to the ASU Department of Public Safety on Feb. 23 that
a 22-year-old Phoenix man was viewing child pornography in Fletcher Library on the West campus. The case is classified as
inactive because data was automatically erased from the computer the suspect was using while officers spoke with the man.
The computers in Fletcher Library do not have hard drives, and all data is erased from RAM drives after 10 minutes of non-use,
a library technician reportedly told DPS. In Hayden Library, a 44-year-old Phoenix man was arrested Feb. 4 after he allegedly
downloaded images of clothed girls in provocative poses on a computer.
Filter-free
Unlike many public libraries, computer users at ASU libraries do not access the Internet through a filter. State law requires
public libraries to provide filtered Internet access to minors, but ASU libraries do not use filtering software because they are
academic libraries that do not cater to children, said Sherrie Schmidt, dean of the Tempe campus libraries. Tempe and east
campus libraries require all children under 15 to be accompanied by an adult unless they are affiliated with a University
program or using a parent's library card. "Because we're an academic library as opposed to a public library, we can ask that
children be accompanied by an adult," Schmidt said. The Fletcher Library does not enforce any age restrictions, but most
Fletcher patrons are expected to be adults because of the nature of the library said Marilyn Myers, dean of Fletcher Library.
At public libraries, even if adult patrons are allowed unfiltered Internet access, state law still prohibits the display of explicit
sexual material in "any place where minors are invited as part of the general public." Staff at Tempe and west campus libraries
may ask patrons viewing offensive material to move to more private areas, the librarians said. At the east campus library, "while
we don't suggest an action to the offender, we let them know that there's been a complaint," said east campus library director
Charles Brownson. In all instances, he added, the patron viewing offensive material has moved because such patrons are often
"highly sensitive to criticism." At all ASU libraries, a complaint may come not only from another patron, but also from library staff
members. "Anybody who's offended has a right to say something about it," Brownson said. Also, a patron who is unaffiliated with
the University may be asked to give up his or her computer if a student is waiting, regardless of the nature of his or her online
activities.
But Schmidt said library staff does not actively seek out patrons who may be offending others. "If we had plenty of workstations
available for other students and faculty at ASU ... and [a person viewing pornography] wasn't engaging people in a disruptive
way, we probably wouldn't have anything to do with that person because we're not on patrol," Schmidt said. Though required to
have filtering software in place to protect minors, some East Valley public libraries -- such as Chandler and Scottsdale -- allow
adult patrons to request unfiltered access to the Internet for their sessions.
Libraries in Phoenix had a similar policy until the City Council voted in September to require all Internet sessions be filtered,
regardless of the patron's age. Adults cannot request unfiltered access at the Tempe Public Library because it is technically
impossible within the city's current filtering system, said library administrator Teri Metros. Tempe's filter is administered on the
server level and cannot be turned off at individual computers, she said. ASU spokesman Manny Romero said the pair of recent
reports "is causing some concern to the University," but University librarians said the incidents do not constitute a phenomenon
that would need to be addressed with policy changes. "I'm not ready to rewrite policy based on basically one incident out here,"
Myers said. Schmidt echoed that sentiment. "I think we would have to see more incidents before we began changing policies,"
she said.
Retrieved March 8, 2005 from http://www.asuwebdevil.com/issues/2005/03/08/news/692349
by Brian Indrelunas, brian.indrelunas@asu.edu.
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Washington - Librarian suspects man of viewing child pornography
Bremerton - A librarian told police that a regular at the central branch might have been looking at child pornography Monday
afternoon. The man visits the library every morning for a few hours. As the librarian passed by him Monday, she noticed
thumbnail pictures that appeared to be of a 10-year-old girl in suggestive poses, she told police.
When police arrived, however, the man was on his way out the door. He was stopped and questioned. He denied looking at
child pornography, though he said he looked at porn at the library because he had a wife and child at home, according to a
Bremerton police report.
However, because the man turned off the computer, thereby deleting electronic caches, police did not have proof that he
looked at child porn and could not make an arrest.
By Angela D. Smith, Retreived July 17, 2003 from
http://www.thesunlink.com/redesign/2003-07-17/local/204332.shtml
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Ohio - Man viewed child pornography at Library
An investigation prompted by questionable computer use at the Girard Free Library has led to child pornography charges
against a Boardman Township man. Police arrested Jon Scott Bloyer, 43, Sigle Lane, on seven felony counts of pandering
sexually oriented material involving a juvenile. He was released after posting $28,000 bond. A woman answering the phone at
Bloyer's home said he had no comment.
The arrest came after Boardman police said they served a warrant at Bloyer's home Thursday and found pornographic material
involving juveniles. Police said in a news release that they also seized other items including handcuffs, ropes, chains and tarps.
Assisting in serving the warrant were members of the Girard Police Department and the Ohio State Highway Patrol.
Girard Police Capt. Frank Bigowsky said Friday that the investigation began July 31 after a patron used a computer at the
library after Bloyer and found something that may have been illegal or improper on the screen. That person informed a security
guard, who in turn told police, Bigowsky said.
Bigowsky would not say what was on the computer screen at the library, but Boardman police said the computer was used to
download child pornography. The state patrol was contacted because public library computers fall under their jurisdiction,
Bigowsky said. He would not say what led investigators to Bloyer, except that charges may be pending in Girard. ''Our
investigation is ongoing,'' Bigowsky said. In addition to local and state investigations, Bigowsky said if federal violations are
found, the FBI may become involved.
8/19/03 From: The Tribune Chronicle
By Joe Gorman, retrieved August 19, 2003 from.
http://www.norweld.lib.oh.us/norweldnews/viewer.asp?ID=2217
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Maryland - Bail tripled in ex-judge's porn case - Accused of downloading child images at library
Fresh from a six-year prison stint for the sexual assault of an underage boy, it took six weeks for former state Administrative
Judge Marvin Lee Teal to get arrested in downtown Baltimore on pornography charges. Teal, 53, who was convicted five times
of sexually abusing children in the 1990s, was arrested at the central Enoch Pratt Free Library last week. He is accused of
downloading pornographic images of minors on a library computer.
Yesterday, District Court Judge Nancy B. Shuger raised his bail from $25,000 to $75,000 after she reviewed his file. She also
ordered him to stay away from public libraries in Maryland and to undergo a psychological evaluation. "The court believes the
safety of the public, particularly children, is paramount," Shuger said. "Given the nature of this incident and given that it occurred
shortly after his release from incarceration, I am raising the bail to $75,000."
Teal, who was present via a video screen, interrupted the judge to say there is "no way" he could make the bail. The former
judge is charged with downloading pornographic images of children and of knowingly possessing such material. He could
receive up to 11 years in prison if convicted.
Assistant State's Attorney Shancethea Leatherwood asked the judge to raise his bail to $1 million. "This incident took place in a
public library with children around," Leatherwood said. "He poses a risk to children and a significant threat to public safety." A
judge with the Maryland Office of Administrative Hearings in the early 1990s, Teal was released from prison March 1 after
serving time for molesting an 11-year-old boy in Anne Arundel County in 1996. The following year, Teal wept and apologized to
the child in court.
He was arrested in that case while on probation for sexually abusing two teen-age boys in Howard County. In 1988, he asked a
three-judge panel to reduce his sentence. Instead, in a rare move, the judges doubled it. At Teal's bail review yesterday, retired
state trooper and former prison chaplain Andrew Griffiths spoke on his behalf, saying Teal, who was his clerk for five years, "fell
through the cracks" of the system. Griffiths said Teal had nowhere to go when he was released from prison last month. He later
stayed in a halfway house in the 2000 block of N. Calvert St.
"He was wandering the streets, and he's not a street guy," Griffiths said. "He went straight from the bench to the prison." Teal,
who earned his law degree from the University of Baltimore in 1981, had just secured a job as a law clerk earning $40,000 a
year, Griffiths said, but he hadn't started working. "He had too much idle time on his hands," Griffiths said, attempting to explain
why he went to the library.
Hours before Teal's arrest April 17, Griffiths took Teal to lunch, he said. After the meal, Griffiths gave him $20 and dropped him
off at the library. An hour later, Griffiths said, he got a call that Teal was back in jail.
Sun Staff, By Allison Klein, Retrieved April 22, 2003 from, http://www.sunspot.net/news/local/bal-md.porn19apr19,0 ...cc.
kennesaw.edu/pipermail/newsbits/2003-April/000053.html
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Florida - FBI: Child Pornography sent from library
From Newspress.com. By Mike Hoyem. 10/17/03.
Suspect accused of viewing, sending pictures containing sadomasochistic images of children.
A registered sex offender was arrested Thursday for allegedly sending sadomasochistic child pornography over the Internet
from public-access computers at Charlotte County libraries.
Richard Edward Brillhart, 23, of 21874 Haines Ave. in Port Charlotte was secretly videotaped by an FBI agent Oct. 10 at the
Murdock Public Library as he looked at "images of prepubescent children engaged in sex acts" and read a "fantasy story."
FBI Special Agent John Kuchta wrote in a criminal complaint affidavit that Brillhart was seated near the children's book section
as he looked at the files and rapidly moved his left hand under the work station. "Your affiant believes Brillhart was
masturbating," Kuchta wrote, adding that he "observed Brillhart get up from his seat and exit the library. Brillhart appeared to
have an erection."
Brillhart - who also used computers at the Port Charlotte Public Library - is accused of posting hundreds of child pornography
photos on the Internet including many of children who were "gagged, tied up and being beaten with various implements" while
being sexually abused.
Assistant Charlotte County Administrator Roger Baltz declined comment. "The word on what happened has just begun filtering
in," Baltz said. "I don't really have anything to share with you without having all the facts." Brillhart - who was 19 when he was
convicted of having sex with a 15-year-old girl - had his first appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court in Fort Myers.
A detention hearing is scheduled for today. Sending or receiving child pornography across state lines via the Internet is
punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Brillhart was targeted in June after he began sending child pornography to U.S. Postal
Inspector Frank Graham of St. Louis, who is with an Internet crimes task force and was posing online as a person interested in
child pornography, officials say.
After speaking with Graham, Kuchta took over the investigation. He contacted Brillhart online and expressed interest in the
photos. Brillhart, the affidavit said, soon provided Kuchta access to hundreds of pictures of adults performing sex acts with
children as small as toddlers and infants.
"A number of the pictures depict bondage and sadomasochism," Kuchta wrote. "A number of the children are depicted
grimacing in pain. ... Several pictures show black and blue bruises and contusions on the children."
Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney Douglas Molloy of Fort Myers described the photos as "unspeakable."
"The message is clear," Molloy said. "Child pornography is not a victimless crime. The children in those pictures are victims and
are often scarred for the rest of their lives." Molloy said those who download child pornography will face the consequences.
"We will find you, and we will prosecute you," he said. Assistant U.S. Public Defender Martin DerOvanesian, who was appointed
to represent Brillhart, couldn't be reached for comment. The affidavit said Brillhart was convicted in Michigan on Oct. 21, 1999, of
having sex with the 15-year-old and was sentenced to three years of probation.
He was arrested in August 2000 for failing to register as a sex offender and after threatening a jail employee in a sexual manner
was sentenced to a year behind bars. In October 2001, Brillhart violated his probation again by getting a 16-year-old pregnant.
But the girl, the affidavit said, was subsequently "emancipated from her parents and married Brillhart."
By Mike Hoyem, mhoyem@news-press.com. Published by news-press.com on October 17, 2003. Retrieved October 17, 2003
from http://www.news-press.com/news/local_state/031017pornguy.html
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Montana - Transient charged in library child porn case
A transient who is a registered sex offender in two states faces federal child pornography charges for using a library computer at
Montana State University-Billings to access the illegal material. Grady Ewing Mays, 51, pleaded not guilty to an indictment
charging him with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of receipt of obscene materials.
The maximum penalty for possession of child pornography is five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The penalties may be
increased to two to 10 years in prison for prior offenses. The potential penalty for receipt of obscene matters is five years in
prison and a $250,000 fine. Mays was charged in state court in February with felony sex abuse of children for allegedly
possessing images of children engaged in real or simulated sex acts. The state charges are pending; trial has been set for June
23.
The indictment accuses Mays of possessing computer disks or other material containing child pornography that had been
shipped through a computer located at the MSU-Billings library on Feb. 13. The second count alleges Mays knowingly received
obscene matters from an interactive computer service on the same day. U.S. Magistrate Richard Anderson ordered Mays held
in custody until trial. The case will be heard by Senior U.S. District Judge Jack Shanstrom.
According to a state prosecutor, Mays is a transient who is a registered sex offender in two states. Mays was arrested at the
university library three days after arriving in Billings. State court records said a librarian reported to campus police that a man
was viewing child pornography on a library computer connected to the Internet. When the officer approached Mays, he tried to
clear the screen of pictures. The officer ordered Mays to take his hand away from the mouse and saw pictures of adults and
children on the screen. Mays told the officer that he was trying to apply for a job when the pictures began popping up and he
could not get rid of them, the records said
The officer said he found a stack of papers that included printed pornographic pictures on the computer desk. A librarian later
told the was taken as evidence.
By Clair Johnson, Billings Montana, Of The Gazette Staff.
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Colorado - Man arrested for child pornography at University library
An arrest was made at the Morgan Library Thursday after a library staff member noticed an individual observing what he/she
thought was child pornography on a public computer.
"A staff member reported what they thought was someone perusing child pornography on the public computers," said Capt.
Bob Chaffee of the CSU Police Department. The suspect was arrested at 5:03 p.m., at which time an investigation revealed he
had downloaded child pornography to a disk, Chaffee said.
"Investigations revealed that a suspect had actually been downloading pornography and had a disk on his person indicating he
was involved in child pornography," Chaffee said. When the suspect was contacted, investigators discovered he had a felony
warrant for parole violation. "We appreciate the alertness and assistance from the library staff because this is the type of person
that has the potential to cause concern for safety," Chaffee said. "Families use the library all of the time."
By Patrick Crossland, The Rocky Mountain Collegian.com, December 12, 2003
Retrieved December 16, 2003 from http://www.collegian.com/vnews/display.v/ART/2003/12/12/3fd9467a916e3
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Utah - Man arrested in Salt Lake City Library sex-sting
A registered sex offender was arrested Tuesday after he allegedly used a Salt Lake City Library computer to ask a woman if he
could have sex with her children. The man, 39, who is a registered sex offender in Wisconsin, was in a chat room where he
talked to an undercover police officer posing as a mother with two daughters.
The man eventually solicited sex with the woman's children, Utah Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force director
Ken Hansen said. Unfortunately, Hansen said, there have been other cases of men who meet women in online chat rooms with
the intent of having sex with their children.
"There are individuals out there who are spending quite a bit of time looking for children in various ways for sex partners. This is
just one way to do it," he said. The undercover officer, who works for another ICAC task force, contacted authorities in Salt Lake
City about a sting. The officer then told the man to go to the laundry room of a nearby apartment complex to meet the daughters.
Members of Utah's ICAC task force posed as transients outside the apartment. When the suspect arrived, the undercover
officers asked if he would let them into the apartment because they were cold. The man told them no because he was there to
meet a friend in the laundry room.
That tipped off the undercover officers that it was the man they sought, and they arrested him about 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, Hansen
said. The man was booked into the Salt Lake County Jail for investigation of six counts of enticing a minor over the Internet.
Investigators later searched the apartment, near 700 South and 300 East, where the man was staying. He was apparently a
transient and paying some people to let him stay with them. The man was also a suspect in several recent indecent exposure
incidents at Crossroads