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A private Internet "chat room" used worldwide to facilitate the trading of thousands of images of child pornography -- including streaming videos of live molestations -- was infiltrated in an undercover investigation, resulting in charges against 27 individuals to date in the United States, Canada, Australia and Great Britain, the Department of Justice, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and cooperating international authorities announced today.This week, indictments and criminal complaints were unsealed in nine U.S. judicial districts in Illinois, Tennessee, Michigan, Nevada, Florida, New York, Arizona and Hawaii, as well as in state court in North Carolina, charging 13 defendants with various offenses including possession, receipt, distribution and manufacture of child pornography. The additional 14 defendants have been charged in other countries -- nine in Canada, three in Australia and two in Great Britain -- in connection with activity in the chat room known as "Kiddypics & Kiddyvids," which was hosted on the Internet through the WinMX software program that also allowed users to engage in "peer-to-peer" file sharing. One of the 27 charged defendants is a fugitiveThe indictment alleges that administrators of the chat room included: -- "HumbleDuchess;"-- "CuLeX," of Milton, Fla., who was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography in a criminal complaint in the Northern District of Florida;-- "Wharfrat," of Reno, Nevada, who was arrested and charged with possession of child pornography in the District of Nevada;-- "Lord Newbie," of Charlotte, North Carolina, who was arrested on state charges in North Carolina;-- "Fydei," of Longueuil, Quebec, who was arrested and charged in Canada-- "Sir_CP," later identified as a 65-year-old man from Mill Park, Victoria, Australia --"DarcBiocode," later identified as a 22-year-old man from Stafford, Queensland, Australia.--"Big_daddy619"--"Acidburn"
Three Australians have been charged in connection with an alleged international child pornography ring, and police say they expect more arrests as their understanding of the crime improves.Australian Federal Police (AFP) joined authorities in North America and Europe to investigate the network.Twenty-seven people from nine US states and Canada, Australia and Britain, are accused of possession, receipt, distribution and manufacture of child pornography in connection with the case, authorities said. Twenty-six of the suspects have been arrested. In Australia, charges have been laid against three men: a 56-year-old man from Melbourne, a 22-year-old from Queensland and a 30-year-old from Newcastle in New South Wales.
Child porn suspects in court City man 'had some control' over chat room, prosecutor says By CHRIS DETTRO STAFF WRITER Published Thursday, March 23, 2006 A Springfield man who is among at least 30 people charged last week in an alleged child pornography ring had some administrative control over an international Internet chat room that transmitted live shots of child molestation and traded thousands of pictures, a federal prosecutor said Wednesday. Billy Joe Bowser, 33, of the 900 block of Forrest Avenue "had some control over members" in the Kiddypics & Kiddyvids chat room, according to assistant U.S. attorney John Childress. "He could allow access, he could restrict them." Childress said that Bowser's wife, Melissa, 26, who faces identical charges of possession and transportation of child pornography, had told a relative that by being an administrator, her husband had access to 40,000 images on his computer. U.S. Magistrate Judge Byron Cudmore ordered Billy Joe Bowser detained pending trial following a preliminary hearing and detention hearing in U.S. District Court Wednesday. Cudmore allowed Melissa Bowser to live with family friends in rural Pana but put strict conditions on her release. Cudmore last week ordered detention of a third Springfield resident charged in the "peer-to-peer" network child porn ring, 48-year-old Anthony Adams of the 300 block of West Reynolds Street. U.S. and international authorities last week charged at least 30 people who allegedly had taken part in the Kiddypics & Kiddyvids chat room and "peer-to-peer" networks. The youngest child seen in pictures or video was less than 18 months old, authorities said in announcing the results of the 10-month investigation. Michael Mitchell, a special agent for Immigration and Customs Enforcement with the Department of Homeland Security, testified before Cudmore that the investigation of the Bowsers began with the arrest on Jan. 8 of Brian Annoreno of Chicago for receiving child pornography and molesting his own 18-month-old daughter. Annoreno allegedly molested an infant and transmitted it live to a viewer in Edmonton, Alberta. Mitchell said authorities began investigating the screen names of people who participated in the same Kiddypics & Kiddyvids chat room, and on Feb. 11, an undercover agent was signed into a WinMX software program that allows the user to share and search almost any kind of computer files. The agent communicated with an individual identified as "thunderbird" and downloaded two images of child pornography involving adults and children approximately 10 years old. The Internet address of "thunderbird" was subsequently traced to Billy Joe Bowser, Mitchell said. When agents executed a search warrant of the Bowsers' residence, they allegedly found 20,000 to 40,000 images of child pornography on Billy Joe's computer, including images of violence and of children younger than 12. Mitchell said Bowser admitted his screen name was "thunderbird" and that he had used the chat room and traded child porn with some other suspects in the international probe. He also said he had images of sadomasochism involving children under 10, the agent said. Childress said that Bowser's sister told authorities that he had admitted to her that he "liked young girls" and had received counseling but quit after one session. The prosecutor said it also wasn't unusual for the Bowsers' children, ages 3 and 5, to be unclothed when others were present. "From his own mouth, he has identified himself as at least a potential predator," Childress said in arguing for Bowser's detention. Deputy federal public defender Doug Beevers argued that because some of the other chat room participants live in Illinois, there was no proof that Bowser traded the images across state lines. Cudmore said there was enough proof of that and found probable cause and in favor of Bowser's detention. "The Internet has made things too easy for people to be involved in this nefarious conduct," Cudmore said. Childress also argued that Melissa Bowser should be detained, saying she "facilitated the operation of the chat room and clearly shared child pornography." "The scope of the exchange makes her a danger to the community," he said. Babette Salus, Melissa Bowser's attorney, called to the witness stand both Melissa's mother of Springfield and a longtime family friend who lives with her husband in rural Christian County. Both said they would be responsible for her and allow her to live with them while her case is resolved. "Clearly, dealing in child pornography is an inherently dangerous practice," Cudmore said. "But in this case, there are conditions that can overcome that." He ordered Melissa Bowser to be confined inside the Pana residence 24 hours a day unless she finds work and to submit to electronic monitoring and attend mental health counseling at the direction of the federal probation office. He also ordered she have no contact with minors under the age of 18 unless the probation office approves visits with her own children, who are being cared for by relatives. She also isn't allowed access to a computer.
