Salesman Indicted In Child-Porn Crackdown Spokane Man Faces Two Counts In Nationwide Postal Probe
A nationwide child-pornography investigation by U.S. postal inspectors has led to the indictment of a Spokane appliance parts salesman.
John W. Brady, 48, is scheduled to surrender voluntarily to federal authorities July 1 after being indicted Tuesday by a federal grand jury.
Brady faces two counts - receipt of child pornography by U.S. mail and possession of child pornography, said Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Johnson.
His indictment is part of a two-year investigation that shut down the largest-known commercial distributor of child pornography in U.S. history, postal inspectors say.
The investigation began in early 1994 when postal inspectors arrested a San Diego man who was attempting to smuggle cash and pornographic videos of children into the United States.
A second kingpin in the operation later was found dead in Mexico, apparently after committing suicide.
Postal inspectors seized the San Diego importer’s business records and continued to run the mail-order porn business as a sting operation known as “Project Special Delivery.”
Investigators subsequently identified dozens of people who were ordering the illegal material.
“We are not talking about adult videos someone can rent at some corner video store,” said chief inspector Kenneth Hunter.
Rather, he said, the videos show images of children as young as 7 having sex with one another or adults and “being sexually abused in unthinkable ways.”
In all, more than 130 controlled deliveries of the material were made in 35 states by postal inspectors who immediately served search warrants and made arrests.
The distributor sold videos for $50 to $290 depending on the age of the children involved in various sexual acts, postal inspectors said.
Federal prosecutors have obtained indictments against 45 suspects throughout the United States, and dozens more are expected to be charged as part of the investigation.
Brady is alleged to have taken delivery of two videos on Dec. 19, 1995, at his apartment at 508 E. Mission, Johnson said.
, DataTimes