PRINTABLE PAGE

Ex-Cop Charged in Kid Porn Ring

By Robert E. Kessler, Staff Writer
Originally published in Newsday, March 22, 2002

A former city police officer and 11 other city residents were arrested yesterday in the latest round of indictments stemming from a nationwide FBI probe of Internet child pornography, federal officials said.

The indictments—as well as the arrests of 20 suspects in the city, on Long Island and in New Jersey—are part of a 14-month investigation dubbed “Operation Candyman.” The probe targeted a membership-only Internet group—or Egroup—on Yahoo.com called “The Candyman,” U.S. Attorney Alan Vinegrad said. The group was used to trade pornographic photographs and movie files of children, Vinegrad said.

Federal investigators were able to track the suspects using the screen names each individual used to sign up for the group, Vinegrad said. After seizing the members’ computers, the FBI found that each received all the pornographic images that any other member e-mailed, which was in excess of 100 files, prosecutors said. Some of the defendants also retained extensive pornography collections, including pictures of children as young as 1 year old.

“These defendants allegedly preyed upon the most vulnerable among us,” said Kevin Donovan, the assistant director in charge of FBI’s New York office, which helped in the probe. Donovan said the investigation, which targeted 26 states, is continuing. Another suspect in New York is still being sought, officials said.

Yesterday’s announcement comes after Attorney General John Ashcroft said on Monday that about 90 people in 14 states had been arrested in the probe. Among those arrested before yesterday were James and Susan Flynn of West Hempstead, who were charged with possessing a videotape of them sexually abusing children, and Paul Alexander of Bay Shore, who was accused of producing child porn.

One of those arrested yesterday was Brian Mathews, 40, of Floral Park, an ex-patrolman fired by the Police Department in 1998 for allegedly ordering videotapes through the mail depicting young boys having sex. Mathews has denied the charge. The other city residents charged yesterday were four men from Queens, four from Brooklyn and three from Staten Island. Ten of the defendants named yesterday pleaded innocent in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn. The others, including Mathews, were awaiting arraignment.

Mathews’ attorney, Gary Schoer, declined to comment.

Each defendant was charged with up to 10 counts of possessing child pornography. The charges carry a maximum sentence on conviction of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. U.S. Magistrate Viktor Pohorelsky set bail for each defendant at $150,000.