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7 in county arrested in child-pornography sweep
More than 50 caught in crackdown targeting content-sharing networks
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Seven Ventura County residents, including a registered sex offender, were among more than 50 people arrested on suspicion of possessing child pornography after a recent sweep of Internet file-sharing networks, authorities said Tuesday.
The eight-month investigation targeted people throughout Southern California who trade child porn on the Internet, according to authorities. It marked the first coordinated crackdown on child porn on "peer-to-peer" networks, which allow users to directly share content such as photos, videos or music, said Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in Los Angeles.
"These networks allow you to essentially bypass the traditional Web site, because you're literally reaching into another personal computer and gaining access to the material," Mrozek said. "It's such an easy way to distribute this material that we realized we should take a closer look."
Ventura County sheriff's Detective Anthony Aguirre said child porn on peer-to-peer networks is a growing problem.
"As easy as it is to download a song, it's that easy to download a child porn video, as sad as that sounds," said Aguirre, a sexual assault investigator who is part of an Internet crime task force in Thousand Oaks. Peer-to-peer networks are one of Aguirre's primary focuses, he said.
The crackdown involved U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the FBI, Secret Service and local law enforcement agencies, including the Ventura County Sheriff's and Los Angeles Police departments.
Using software developed by the Wyoming Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, local investigators were able to search for people downloading child porn in their areas, identify them and eventually secure search warrants, Aguirre said.
Over the past several months in Ventura County, six men and a male juvenile from Simi Valley were arrested on suspicion of possessing child porn, authorities said.
Mark Klein, 44, of Oxnard was arrested Tuesday at his home and booked into federal jail in Los Angeles, Aguirre said. Tyler Farmer, 39, of Oxnard; Gregory Rex, 46, of Thousand Oaks; Alfred Botta, 68, of Camarillo; Henry Lebrun, 51, of Simi Valley; and Dorian Dehganmanesh, 27, of Ventura also were arrested.
Farmer is a registered sex offender previously convicted of child molestation, Mrozek said. He remained in jail this week and may face a minimum of 10 years behind bars, Aguirre said.
A 37-year-old Simi Valley woman also was arrested during the sweep, on suspicion of possessing methamphetamine for sale, Aguirre said. Investigators found child porn on her computer and were still trying to determine who downloaded it, Aguirre said.
Another of those arrested in the regional sweep was a convicted sex offender suspected of producing child pornography. Gary Samuel Cochran, 50, of Huntington Beach was arrested on suspicion of possession and production of child pornography, Mrozek said. Investigators found evidence that he took pictures of a young girl, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.
The sweep was partly designed to put child-porn traders on notice that peer-to-peer networks are not as anonymous as they think, Mrozek said.
"It demonstrates that law enforcement has the ability to determine who's storing this material on their computer and through peer-to-peer networks making it available to others," he said.
Posted by highriseray1 on August 20, 2008 at 5:46 a.m. (Suggest removal)
great job to all the law enforcement agencies that caught these sick minded people
Posted by twins805 on August 20, 2008 at 8:02 a.m.
(This thread was removed by the site staff.)
Posted by handyhood on August 20, 2008 at 8:37 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Twins805, How do you know they are white guys? Basically YOU brought in the race facture. Are you racist? These are sick sexual deviants who, no matter what race, have now been removed from normal society and put where they belong, JAIL! Good work to the police officers envolved with this arrest!
Posted by twins805 on August 20, 2008 at 9:14 a.m. (Suggest removal)
No, the reason I wrote that, is every time I read posts on the site there is nothing but racist comments based on names and comments on go back to mexico, blah blah etc. I agree with you these sick bastards need to be locked up and not let out.
I think they should do away with these forums and just post the news to read. So many times these closet racist come on here and place insulting comments towards people and their family's even while they are suffering the loss of a family member.
Posted by wzupnow on August 20, 2008 at 9:34 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Finally, the white people can't blame this one on the immigration problem.
I’m glad these people were caught, but to be honest it doesn't make a difference if they were white, black , brown, or purple. They are people, humans, that committed a crime and were busted.
We as a society, should stop looking at race when bad things happen. We as people, all need to change. There are good people and bad people within all races, some just get show cased more.
The reality is we are all running the same race, we just need to stop tripping each other up.
Get along with each other people and teach your kids what's right and wrong and the problems will solve themselves.
Posted by freethought on August 20, 2008 at 9:58 a.m. (Suggest removal)
twins805 and aydchavez - You are both obviously racists, as you both have a problem with "white" people. No one else even brought race into the picture. Yet, you felt the need to not only mention race, but target caucasians in your comments. Just wondering - do you consider yourselves Christian (Catholic or otherwise)? If so, you shouldn't from this point on.
Posted by Metalhaid on August 20, 2008 at 10:15 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Great job by all the agencies! Way to show how teamwork and the spirit of cooperation can have such a tremendous positive influence. Wish it would rub off on people.
Posted by twins805 on August 20, 2008 at 10:16 a.m. (Suggest removal)
this would make since if i wasnt 1/2 white...
Posted by freethought on August 20, 2008 at 10:39 a.m. (Suggest removal)
Then maybe you have a problem with 1/2 of yourself.
Posted by CharliesMom on August 20, 2008 at 11:02 a.m. (Suggest removal)
It's true- "twins805" is correct. We see it SO MUCH on comments to articles that pertain to a person of Hispanic ethnicity. There's a lot of hateful racist people spewing out their garbage about immigrants or Latinos, etc. And when a "white" person commits a crime, no one mentions squat about it. Such a double-standard, and it gets tiring to see.
You know who you are; Keep your racial bigotry & prejudices to yourself, as no one wants to hear it!
There are good & bad people of all ethnicities, no one is better than anyone else.
Posted by freethought on August 20, 2008 at 12:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
CharliesMom - I do not dispute what you are saying. However, twin805's comment, "Where is all the racial comments, oh wait these are white guys. Send them back." was aimed at caucasians the same way some people aim statements at hispanics or blacks or gays. It's wrong no matter which race is targeted.
It would be more respectful for all to just stay on topic, but then this thread wouldn't be as interesting as it has recently become.
Posted by CharliesMom on August 20, 2008 at 1:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
FreeThought: Absolutely. And when we readers see any type of unproductive, hateful, derogatory terms directed at certain groups of people (whether they be gay, black, white, latinos, etc.), we should all simply click on the *Suggest Removal* link. It's as easy as that. Sometimes people just go too far & completely degrate others, and there is no room for that here, as we should all be able to discuss/debate in a rational & civil manner, without use of hatelful labels on people.
Posted by sunnbear on August 20, 2008 at 2:26 p.m. (Suggest removal)
twins805...which half?
Posted by sunnbear on August 20, 2008 at 2:27 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Bottom? Top? Right down the middle? Striped?
Posted by Kreemac70 on August 20, 2008 at 2:28 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Oh my. I think I know the Mark Klein guy...how can I find out if he is the same guy? Is there a website I can look on? Any advice would be great.
Thanks!
Posted by freethought on August 20, 2008 at 3:34 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Kreemac70 - If he ever has to register as a sex offender, then a photo will be tied to his name on a web site where they are listed. I've seen one of the many sites (just Google "sex offender map" or go to http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov). It's pretty creepy to know that quite a few sex offenders live in all of our neighborhoods.
Posted by freethought on August 20, 2008 at 3:37 p.m. (Suggest removal)
"...we should all be able to discuss/debate in a rational & civil manner, without use of hatelful labels on people."
CharliesMom - I'm with you on that. It certainly would make for better conversation.
Posted by wzupnow on August 20, 2008 at 9:02 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Freethought, you obviousluy couldn't read into my sarcastic remark. You should have taken the time to read the rest of the comment. It doesn't make a difference what race you are, that was my point.
Your obviously prejudice thinking that you couldn't possibly be a Christian or Catholoic to make a negative comments. I can't believe for one minute that your religion keeps you from thinking negative. Wake up and pay attention. By the way hispanics/Mexican are considered caucasian.
Posted by CharliesMom on August 21, 2008 at 7:30 a.m. (Suggest removal)
aydchavez said "By the way hispanics/Mexican are considered caucasian." Yes, thank you for pointing that out! Most people don't know that fact. Hispanics are officialy classified as caucasian (birth certificates, etc.)
Posted by Monotremata on August 21, 2008 at 1:07 p.m. (Suggest removal)
Wait, since when are christians and catholics NOT some of the most prejudiced people on the planet anyways??
Posted by freethought on August 21, 2008 at 5:46 p.m. (Suggest removal)
aydchavez - You are obviously prejudice for calling me prejudice... And so on, and so on...
Come up with something original next time, "I know you are, but what am I?" Next, you say, "I'm rubber, and you're glue,..."
And still you keep race in the forefront of your discussion when the topic has nothing to do with it.
My comment on religion was simple and easy to interpret. Whatever religion you belong to, you ought to at least try adhere to its teachings, or stop saying you belong to that religion. I actually try to follow many of Christ's teachings (as well as Buddha's, those of Confucius, and Lao Tsu), and I'm an atheist (I don't buy the whole life after death, God has a plan, and miracles part).
Posted by freethought on August 21, 2008 at 6:10 p.m. (Suggest removal)
aydchavez - Hispanics are not classified as caucasians (at least not originally). They are classified as mongoloid (see Wikipedia or Metapedia on the subject, or go to a library). Not that it matters, but I thought you should know (since you obviously don't).
The only reason a Mexican, for instance, could be classified as caucasian is that his or her genetics stem at least partly from Europe, like Spain.
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