Santa Rosa Beach man arrested on porn charges
Local man caught in child porn ring
Indictment: James Freeman told users he was 'proud to be a part of it'
Andrew Gant
Tuesday March 4th, 2008
See photo and map below
PENSACOLA ' A Santa Rosa Beach man is one of 12 people indicted in a vast Internet child porn enterprise that investigators say ran for two years.
The U. S. Attorney's Office has charged James Freeman, 47, with numerous federal crimes: engaging in a child exploitation enterprise, conspiracy, advertisement of child pornography, transportation of child pornography, receipt of child pornography and obstruction of justice.
Prosecutors say Freeman and at least 11 others used large file-sharing networks to share child porn over the Internet and installed 'sophisticated encryption methods' to avoid detection.
Freeman's user name was 'Mystikal,' according to his indictment.
The charges were filed after investigators infiltrated the network. By then, the group had already traded more than 400,000 images and videos of child sex abuse, the U.S. Attorney's Office alleges.
The indictment lists messages posted by all 12 users, many including descriptions of teens or children engaged in sex acts. One describes girls under 10 years old who are 'heavily drugged' and abused.
In one message, Freeman posts two folders and claims the pictures inside are 'worth the download,' the indictment states.
Later, he thanks the others for their participation: 'My thanks to you and all the others that together make this the greatest group of pedos to ever gather in one place. I'm honored just to be a part of it,' according to the indictment.
Two other men were arrested Feb. 29 in connection with the case, but are not named in the document.
If convicted, Freeman and the others each face 20 years to life in prison plus fines.
The case was investigated by the FBI and lawmen in Australia, Germany, the United Kingdom and Canada.
INDICTED BY THE GRAND JURY:
Michael Berger, 33, username "Box of Rocks" of Mechanicsville, Va.
James Freeman, 47, "Mystikal" of Santa Rosa Beach
Ruble Keys, 55, "Crazy Horse" of Medford, Ore.
Gary Lakey, 54, "Eggplant" of Anderson, Ind.
Marvin Lambert, 33, "Methuselah" of Indianapolis, Ind.
Neville McGarity, 40, "Wraith" of Medina, Texas
John Mosman, 46, "Pickleman" of Waterbury, Conn.
Warren Mumpower, 63, "Lizzard" of Spokane, Wash.
Raymond Roy, 54, "Nimo" of San Juan Capistrano, Calif.
Erik Wayerski, 46, "Lerch" of Round Rock, Texas
Warren Weber, 56, "Muad'Dib" of Boise, Idaho
Ronald White, 59, "RoadKill" of Burlington, N.C.
ARRESTED FEB. 29:
Stepan Bondarenko, 38, of Philadelphia, Pa.
Daniel Castleman, 43, of Lubbock, Texas
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