Posted on 10/15/2004 2:11:47 PM PDT by Horatio Gates
A 13-year-old Lacey boy was arrested on suspicion of posting child pornography and sexually explicit photographs of himself on an Internet chat group. Investigators from the Washington State Patrol’s Missing and Exploited Children Task Force arrested the teen at his home Wednesday and seized three computers after a three-month investigation.
The teen made a preliminary court appearance Thursday and was being held in juvenile detention without bail on suspicion of possession and distribution of images of minors engaged in sexually explicit activity, Thurston County prosecutor John Skinder said. He expects to file charges against the boy by Monday.
An attorney for the boy could not be reached Thursday for comment.
The News Tribune is not naming the teen because of his age.
The investigation into the boy began earlier this year when Yahoo reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that it had found more than 180 images of suspected child pornography posted through its Internet service.
The center’s investigation of the images led to a Lacey Internet service provider. The State Patrol got involved and, through search warrants, discovered the address of the account holder suspected of posting the child pornography on the Web, said detective Sgt. John Didion.
Detectives suspect the boy took child pornography images from the Web and posted them along with messages on a Yahoo chat group.
Law enforcement authorities within the United States and in other countries have identified 11 of the children in the images as part of ongoing cases.
State Patrol investigators believe the boy also took sexually explicit images of himself and posted those in the chat group, Didion said.
Didion noted the boy is younger than most people arrested for possession of child pornography. Statistically, a majority of suspects are older than 25.
“It is very unusual for someone of that age to be a suspect of this type of investigation,” Didion said
If these moron charge a child for child porn for posting a picture of himself, they should be thrown out of office immediately.
..what would Beavis and Butthead say? :P
Well, yeah.
You might consider reading the story before commenting:
Law enforcement authorities within the United States and in other countries have identified 11 of the children in the images
He is 13. He might have a limited at best understanding of sexuality. Yet you think stimatizing him as a sexual criminal for the rest of his life is an appropriate use of government authority?
You really think a 13-year-old boy doesn't know from sexuality? He might not be aware of its power or ramifications, but he knows it's there, all right.
Phillip Roth's "Portnoy" discovered a computer? Why complain?
Do you know what the word "limited" means?
He's a rapist waiting to happen. What do you suggest?
Catch the mote before it becomes a log.
Yes...and a scarlet tatoo between his eyes would help too.
Surely you can't be serious?
Save your specious arguments for someone with less knowledge. The kid will go through the juvenile justice system (where he will be adjudicated, not convicted) and his record will be sealed if he behaves himself in the future. So, he won't be "stigmatized" as a criminal because he won't have a criminal conviction.
Well, as with Columbine, parents who are detached can possibly find themselves with a problem like this on their hands -- but what do you want to bet this lad has been the subject of some sexual abuse that he himself did not instigate.
Have you seen the pictures in question?
Something else could be egging on this "Portnoy," some adults who ARE crooks. That needs intervention pronto.
Oh no, I'm sure he had no idea that child porn was illegal.
The kid's a perv, and definitely knows it.
I've seen stupid questions.
Of course I haven't seen the 180 pics of child porn this kid is alleged to have distributed with at least 11 different children depicted. How about you?
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