L. Providence man charged with sharing child porn
NORRISTOWN » A 56-year-old Lower Providence man faces charges of possessing and disseminating child pornography after his alleged activities were uncovered by detectives investigating internet crimes against children.
Warren George Southard, of the 800 block of Rittenhouse Road, was arrested Thursday and arraigned before District Judge Cathleen Kelly Rebar on charges of possessing child pornography, dissemination of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility in connection with alleged incidents that occurred between September and October. Rebar set Southard’s bail at $100,000, and he was remanded to the Montgomery County Correctional Facility after failing to post that bail.
Southard’s preliminary hearing on the charges is scheduled for 10 a.m. Oct. 18.
An investigation of Southard began on Sept. 5 when a detective conducting undercover operations searching for those possessing or sharing child pornography via the internet located a computer on a file-sharing network that was specifically configured to anonymously share files with others, according to the criminal complaint.
The detective was able to make a direct connection to the computer allegedly sharing the files, court documents indicate. Upon making the connection, the detective was able to electronically receive 158 sexually explicit images and 14 sexually explicit video files between Sept. 5 and Sept. 27.
A forensic examination of the files determined that the files depicted children under the age of 18 engaged in sexual acts or poses.
“Among the image files were numerous images of infants and toddlers being sexually assaulted by adult males,” county District Attorney Kevin R. Steele alleged.
Detectives traced the computer address to Southard’s residence.
A search of Southard’s residence was conducted in the early morning hours on Thursday, Beaghley alleged in the arrest affidavit, adding authorities seized the computer from the shed.
“A forensic preview was conducted on the computer, at which time numerous images and file names of interest in child pornography investigations were located,” Beaghley alleged.
During a statement to detectives, Southard admitted to installing file sharing software on his computer and to downloading child pornography files from the internet. Southard, who allegedly admitted to having about 100 child pornography files on his computer, stated his age preference for his child pornography was 10 to 13 years of age and that he would masturbate to the child porn files, according to the criminal complaint.
Assistant District Attorney M. Stewart Ryan has been assigned to prosecute the case.
“Among the image files were numerous images of infants and toddlers being sexually assaulted by adult males.” — Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin R. Steele