Date: Sunday, 19 Dec 23:18:21 PST
From: anonymous by request <tk0jut2@mvs.cso.niu.edu)
Subject: File 9--Feds Bust Boston-area Gay BBS (#2)

Here's a post from comp.org.eff.talk that might interest CuD
readers, where a discussion is in progress.

=================

Date--18 Dec 1993 20:41:40 GMT
From--betsys@cs.umb.edu (Elizabeth Schwartz)
Subject--MA BBS bust for child pornography

Here are some excerpts from the Boston Globe article, Friday Dec 17, 1993,
pp 37 and 49:
+++++

   The federal indictment of a Medford man in an alleged scheme to
distribute child pornography through a computer bulletin board marks
the start of a major crackdown on computer crimes, especially those
that prey on children, US Attorney Donald K. Stern said yesterday.

  According to the indictment, Baker enticed young boys to engage in
sex acts in his Medford home, where he photographed them [description
of BBS uploading deleted]

  The equipment and assorted paraphernalia, along with large stocks of
child pornography, were uncovered by Medford police, who searched his
home while investigating the rape charge against Baker.

   Alden J. Baker Jr, 44, who is serving a 6- 10 year term in Gardner
State prison for raping his limousine driver, now faces a 187-count
indictment for sexual exploitation of minors.

  [ 10 paragraphs of stuff about how BBS's are trucking porno on the
information highway, and advertising and selling memberships,
deleted]

   Medford police began to investigate Baker about three years ago,
when a 31-year-old, emotionally handicapped man walked into the police
station and charged that Baker had raped him.

   [pp on doubts about pursuing the case deleted]

   But police not only pursued the case that led to Baker's rape
conviction, they also made surprising discoveries at his High Street
home.  Among the leg chains, whips, and cattle prods, they found a
system of computer equipment allegedly used to send child pornography
from Anchorage to New Zealand.

  Police also seized hundreds of hard-core videotapes, printed
pornography, and instant photographs. They also found extensive camera
equipment as well as a raft of computer hardware and software.

   The FBI joined the case and discovered that Baker would entice
teen-age boys to come to his house, then induce them to engage in
sexually explicit conduct for the cameras, according to his
indictment. Neighbors told police they routinely saw boys leaving
Baker's house early in the morning.

  Despite Baker's alleged success with his bulletin board,
single-subject bulletin boards generally have not demonstrated much
staying power, said Jeff Lipton, of Boardwatch Magazine. "Porno
boards, or boards that cater to one premise, don't last," he said.

   Receivers of the information as well as the disseminators are
criminally liable, but prosecutor Pellegrini says that the present
push is to eliminate the distributor.

  In this case, she said, "Instead of just getting one or two spokes,
we got the whole wheel."


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