Posted on 05/12/2004 5:52:00 AM PDT by Theodore R.
Trial set for alleged video voyeur District attorney brings in specialist to prosecute Wright
Kristi Richie Press-Herald Staff
Facing a new prosecutor in Webster Parish, alleged video pornographer Benjamin Wright was arraigned in District Court Monday.
Wright pleaded not guilty to four counts of video voyeurism involving juveniles; nine counts of video voyeurism involving adults; 50 counts of pornography involving juveniles; and public intimidation.
District Attorney Schuyler Marvin called in one of his Bossier assistants to head up the prosecution team on the case.
Jeff Cox, who is over the juvenile program in Bossier and Webster Parishes and specializes in elder care law, will head up the prosecution and was present during Monday’s arraignment.
“I think it’s appropriate that Schuyler has brought in a special lead prosecutor because of how serious a case it is,” Webster Chief Assistant Sherb Sentell said. “Under the last administration, Mr. Wright was able to get out of charges, so Schuyler wanted to make sure on this one that we’ve done everything we can do to make sure that he can never do this to children or females again.”
Cox said he is expecting the case to go to trial.
During Monday’s arraignment, status conference was set for May 24 with trial to follow June 21.
Wright was arrested by Minden police Thursday, March 18, after allegedly threatening to kill Child Protection Agent. He was stopped and arrested on a warrant for that charge when officers found 17 tapes of child pornography in Wright’s vehicle.
Wright was also found to be in possession of tapes containing customers changing clothes in the dressing room at his Shoes and More clothing store on Homer Road. Some of those customers were as young as 13.
Officers from several different agencies searched the store and found additional tapes of child pornography.
Several video cameras, which had been mounted to view the dressing room through holes drilled in the wall, were seized during the search. A computer hard drive was also seized as evidence.
Officers also searched Wright’s home and found even more child pornography tapes.
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