I'm truly speechless at this story I just read. 
20 Charged in Child Pornography Ring
By CONNIE CASS
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (Aug. 9) - A group of parents sexually molested and photographed their own children and swapped pictures over the Internet, forming what one man called ''the club,'' said U.S. Customs Service officials who announced charges Friday against 10 Americans and 10 Europeans.
Forty-five children were victimized, including 37 Americans ranging in age from 2 to about 14, said Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner.
''These crimes are beyond the pale,'' Bonner said. ''They are despicable and repugnant.''
The suspects are men except for Bente Jensen of Denmark, who was charged along with her husband, Eggert Jensen.
Among the U.S. citizens charged since January are chiropractor Lloyd Alan Emmerson of Clovis, Calif., who has pleaded innocent, and eight others named in a federal indictment unsealed Friday in Fresno, Calif.
Another, Jeffrey Naimo of Killeen, Texas, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Bonner said.
Six residents of Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands also were indicted in Fresno, including the Jensens, and the Justice Department is seeking their extradition, Bonner said.
Two Englishmen and two Germans face charges in their home countries, officials said.
''What is particularly disturbing about this case is that the majority of the people who have been charged were actually the parents who were sexually exploiting their own children,'' Bonner told a news conference.
A few of those arrested received pictures but did not produce them, Bonner said.
Each charge of sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to exploit children, and receiving and distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to a maximum of 20 years. Some defendants could receive 60 years if convicted of all charges against them, Bonner said.
More arrests are expected. Authorities are still trying to identify other children in some of the explicit pictures.
Investigators allege that members of the ring befriended each other through Internet chat rooms and began trading explicit computer messages.
Men sometimes requested photographs of children in specific sexual poses. One asked for an audiotape so he could hear a child crying while being spanked, the indictment said.
The investigation began when the international charity Save the Children found a picture on the Internet that appeared to show a child being molested and reported it to Danish authorities.
Danish police found information on the Jensens' computer that was forwarded to the U.S. Customs Service and led to Emmerson's arrest. A search of his computer led to more arrests, officials said. Emmerson's lawyer, H. Ronald Sawl, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The other Americans facing charges include: Paul Whitmore of San Diego, who has pleaded innocent to related charges; Brooke Rowland, San Diego, who also has pleaded innocent; Tracy Reynolds, Longview, Texas; Leslie Peter Bowcut, Burley, Idaho; Michael David Harland, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Harry Eldon Tschernetzki, Spokane, Wash.; John Zill, Greeneville, S.C.; and Craig Davidson, Chanute, Kan.
An 11th American, Sean Bradley of Reno, Nev., committed suicide prior to the filing of formal charges, said Customs special agent Mike Netherland.
The other four foreigners indicted in Fresno were identified as Jean-Michael Frances Cattin, Marcel Egli and Peter Althaus of Switzerland; and Dirk-Jan Prins of the Netherlands. No hometowns were provided.
Netherland said authorities in England and Germany had asked that those suspects not be named while their investigations continue.
AP-NY-08-09-02 2008EDT
20 Charged in Child Pornography Ring
By CONNIE CASS
.c The Associated Press
WASHINGTON (Aug. 9) - A group of parents sexually molested and photographed their own children and swapped pictures over the Internet, forming what one man called ''the club,'' said U.S. Customs Service officials who announced charges Friday against 10 Americans and 10 Europeans.
Forty-five children were victimized, including 37 Americans ranging in age from 2 to about 14, said Customs Commissioner Robert C. Bonner.
''These crimes are beyond the pale,'' Bonner said. ''They are despicable and repugnant.''
The suspects are men except for Bente Jensen of Denmark, who was charged along with her husband, Eggert Jensen.
Among the U.S. citizens charged since January are chiropractor Lloyd Alan Emmerson of Clovis, Calif., who has pleaded innocent, and eight others named in a federal indictment unsealed Friday in Fresno, Calif.
Another, Jeffrey Naimo of Killeen, Texas, has pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 20 years in prison, Bonner said.
Six residents of Denmark, Switzerland and the Netherlands also were indicted in Fresno, including the Jensens, and the Justice Department is seeking their extradition, Bonner said.
Two Englishmen and two Germans face charges in their home countries, officials said.
''What is particularly disturbing about this case is that the majority of the people who have been charged were actually the parents who were sexually exploiting their own children,'' Bonner told a news conference.
A few of those arrested received pictures but did not produce them, Bonner said.
Each charge of sexual exploitation of children, conspiracy to exploit children, and receiving and distributing child pornography carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years to a maximum of 20 years. Some defendants could receive 60 years if convicted of all charges against them, Bonner said.
More arrests are expected. Authorities are still trying to identify other children in some of the explicit pictures.
Investigators allege that members of the ring befriended each other through Internet chat rooms and began trading explicit computer messages.
Men sometimes requested photographs of children in specific sexual poses. One asked for an audiotape so he could hear a child crying while being spanked, the indictment said.
The investigation began when the international charity Save the Children found a picture on the Internet that appeared to show a child being molested and reported it to Danish authorities.
Danish police found information on the Jensens' computer that was forwarded to the U.S. Customs Service and led to Emmerson's arrest. A search of his computer led to more arrests, officials said. Emmerson's lawyer, H. Ronald Sawl, did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
The other Americans facing charges include: Paul Whitmore of San Diego, who has pleaded innocent to related charges; Brooke Rowland, San Diego, who also has pleaded innocent; Tracy Reynolds, Longview, Texas; Leslie Peter Bowcut, Burley, Idaho; Michael David Harland, West Palm Beach, Fla.; Harry Eldon Tschernetzki, Spokane, Wash.; John Zill, Greeneville, S.C.; and Craig Davidson, Chanute, Kan.
An 11th American, Sean Bradley of Reno, Nev., committed suicide prior to the filing of formal charges, said Customs special agent Mike Netherland.
The other four foreigners indicted in Fresno were identified as Jean-Michael Frances Cattin, Marcel Egli and Peter Althaus of Switzerland; and Dirk-Jan Prins of the Netherlands. No hometowns were provided.
Netherland said authorities in England and Germany had asked that those suspects not be named while their investigations continue.
AP-NY-08-09-02 2008EDT
that I couldn't even post my opinion.
