Nationwide FBI child porn investigation lands Houston man in jail[8 kids identified/rescued to date]

ktrk ^

[chance33_98]

Nationwide FBI child porn investigation lands Houston man in jail

As a result of these operations, authorities say nationwide they've been able to identify and rescue eight children who were being exploited.

(5/14/04 - HOUSTON) — A Houston man is in federal custody after he's busted on child pornography charges. A special team of Houston-based FBI agents were in charge of the investigation.

The Internet is a wide open field for any predator to play as he wishes. The technology these offenders use to patrol the dark corners of the web where they lure children has become even more sophisticated. But so has law enforcement.

Facing one count of distributing child pornography and three counts of possessing those materials, Stephen Gardner, 28, could spend the next 20 years behind bars. Federal agents searched his apartment on Memorial Drive and seized two computers. They contained movies and still photographic images of child pornography, as well as CD-ROMs.

FBI Spokesperson Bob Dogium said, "It's a daunting task, there's no doubt about it."

Dogium is talking about how challenging it can be for law enforcement to track down suspects like Gardner. His arrest in Houston is the result of a covert operation spearheaded by the FBI. The bureau's "innocent images squad" targets predators who swap child pornography using special Internet file sharing networks.

"That's just one part," Dogium explained. "The other part, perhaps the bigger part, is trying to figure out where is this child that's being exploited."

Since its launch in the fall of 2003, authorities nationwide have seized thousands of computers, executed hundreds of search warrants and arrested 65 suspects.

Attorney General John Ashcroft said, "It's part of an ongoing effort to keep pace with emerging technologies used to commit, to facilitate and to hide heinous crimes."

Authorities have recently opened up six more child pornography cases nationwide as a direct result of information obtained during the investigation here in Houston which lead to Gardner's arrest.

The arrest was just the beginning of Gardner's legal troubles. He's currently being held without bond at the Harris County jail, charged with sexually assaulting a six-year-old girl in Colorado.

As a result of these operations, authorities say nationwide they've been able to identify and rescue eight children who were being exploited.

[fhayek]

Here's one guy I'd like to introduce to al-Zarqawi.

[Libertina]

He looks like a "youth" himself. How do these perverts get started?

[Conservababe]

Okay, I have a question. When I read of this, I want to go to the sites that these perverts have been. I want to see what in the world is going on. I have an inquisitive nature, I suppose.

So, do going to these sites make me a criminal? I saw a movie recently of women who monitor these sites to try to find perverts before they can hurt a child. And we have a case pending trial of a man who lured a child from our small town on the internet and arranged a meeting.

I guess what I am asking is when do I shut down my curiosity of the internet because I do not want the FBI at my door.

[tbpiper]

Given the scope and the nature of the offense, I think we need to see all the pictures, get this thing out in the open, so the healing process can begin.
This, btw, is an obtuse reference.

[El Gran Salseron]

Just visiting the sites is not a crime. Downloading, and having on your hard drive, child pornography is against the law. Engaging in child pornography is definitely against the law. If you would happen to stumble upon a child porn site it is probably password protected and not free. You would probably have to pay to visit the site. There is also a Catch-22. Most of these sites have stipulations on them that declare that all "models" are at least 18 years of age. But they are dressed and made up to LOOK as if they are children.....pony tails, pig tails, platts, no makeup, cute little grammar school uniforms, shaved strategic areas, girls with small physiques, etc. However, the federal child porn laws are written so that even if the porn DEPICTS or tries to convey that the "models" are young children then you are guilty anyway. Why do I know this? No, I'm not a porn addict. I'm into computer security.

[Conservababe]

Thanks, I understand.

[Army Air Corps]

Is there anything that the avergae citizen can do to help? What do we do if we see or hear suspicious behaviour related to this foul garbage?

[Army Air Corps]

avergae=average. Forgot the spellchecker - many apologies.

[chance33_98]

Report it, there are some places to do so. And as I mentioned to someone else in private, I have come across these things when searching on photography and camera related things (especially in the portrait photography side). I think I will stick to macro lens photos of Spiders

(another spider pic - both are Larinioides cornutus (the furrow spider), from my back yard)

[Army Air Corps]

A few years ago, one of my aunts had a bad experience on the internet. She was looking for antique music boxes. She clicked on a site in a google search. Before the site could load, the screen changed and the stuff on the screen shocked her so much that she stayed away from the 'net for a couple of weeks. To add insult to injury, she started to receive disgusting e-mails. I helped by instruncting her e-mail software to block the offending e-mails. There are some seriously sick puppies out there.

[Army Air Corps]

When reporting such things, do we contact local police, the local FBI office, or both?

[chance33_98]

ASACAP which is a site run by the adult porn industry to turn in those who engage in not using adults.

Since inception, ASACP has investigated and assisted the F.B.I. and U.S. Customs Service in enforcing anti-child pornography laws against thousands of child pornography sites.

A link to the cybertip line from missing kids.com

Those are just a few.

[chance33_98]

Before the site could load, the screen changed and the stuff on the screen shocked her

This is a common tactic by places who take over domain names when they expire (sometimes people don't renew them and there are several places that sell that information so you can get hits when people go looking for something else).

[chance33_98]

From the cybertip line:

It is a federal offense to use a misleading domain name on the Internet with the intent to deceive a minor into viewing material that is harmful to minors, regardless of whether the material meets the legal definition of obscenity (18 U.S.C. 2252B). Please report the use of a misleading domain name that has directed a child to a web site containing harmful materials to children.

Adults who are concerned about obscenity that has not been accessed by a child on the Internet may file a report at www.obscenitycrimes.org.

[Army Air Corps]

Thanks! I have a young cousin and would do unspeakable things to anyone who would think of doing such things to her and her friends. These animals have to be stopped.

[Army Air Corps]

I just found this site: http://www.fbi.gov/hq/cid/cac/innocent.htm . I hope that it helps other who want to fight this cancer.

[sharktrager]

Usually these guys were either abused as children or were exposed to sex at an early age (which is really a less direct type of abuse).

The strange thing is that, once an offender has actually crossed the line and acted on his impulses, there is no scientific evidence that treatment can actually bring the behavior back under control.

Basically, there is a failure to control one's behavior, combined with an unnatural fixation, that results in an incurable/unmanageable mental illness. It's the inability to cure the problem that is the core of the argument of those trying to legitimize adult/child sex. By that logic we should just accept that any and all viral infections are just "natural" and stop searching for a cure.

Unfortunately, the only thing that works is locking the perv up for life. Of course, I have always felt that insanity as a defense is pretty weak, since, by the acceptable definitions of sane, anyone who commits a murder or other such crime is clearly not sane.

[Army Air Corps]

I have a treatment, but it involves lead traveling at supersonic speed.

[sharktrager]

If I thought it could be legalized, I'd support you. Personally, given the choice, I'd take death over life in prison any day.

I expect we'll see a lot more pedophilia in the future. Some of it will be because people want to normalize it. Some of it will be because we have kids being exposed to extreme sex acts at a very early age.

I don't really have sympathy for pedophiles. If just having a tragic childhood was the cause, I would have sympathy. But many people, myself included, were able to survive without being a pedophile.