Cleveland Advocate - News
Alleged distributor of child porn in Liberty County Jail
By ALEX WUKMAN
A Nacogdoches man was arrested in Colorado for allegedly sending child pornography to a 10-year-old girl in Ohio. Michael Latham, 28, is being held in the Liberty County jail while awaiting arraignment in U.S. District Court in Beaumont.
Latham, now a former roughneck, is being charged with receipt, possession, and distribution of child pornography. If convicted he could face 30 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Court documents state that in July 2007 the 10-year-old Ohio girl was online chatting with a friend who had moved to Florida. She was then allegedly approached by Latham claiming to be a 14-year-old girl.
Soon after that encounter the 10-year-old Ohioan’s in-box began filling with images of infants, toddlers and animals being sexually abused. The mother of the 10-year-old reported the images to the local police.
This report led to a year long investigation. Authorities were quickly able to establish who had sent the pornographic e-mail it was tracking him down that was a problem.
The task of tracking down the source of the e-mails was further complicated by the fact that Latham was almost always on the move because of his work for a drilling company.
This led the Wakeman, Ohio Police Department to contact the FBI who contacted the Texas Rangers who removed two computers from Latham’s home in March.
On the computers were more than 1,000 pornographic images. Latham is currently being held without bond while waiting for transportation to Beaumont.
Latham, now a former roughneck, is being charged with receipt, possession, and distribution of child pornography. If convicted he could face 30 years in prison and $500,000 in fines.
Court documents state that in July 2007 the 10-year-old Ohio girl was online chatting with a friend who had moved to Florida. She was then allegedly approached by Latham claiming to be a 14-year-old girl.
Soon after that encounter the 10-year-old Ohioan’s in-box began filling with images of infants, toddlers and animals being sexually abused. The mother of the 10-year-old reported the images to the local police.
This report led to a year long investigation. Authorities were quickly able to establish who had sent the pornographic e-mail it was tracking him down that was a problem.
The task of tracking down the source of the e-mails was further complicated by the fact that Latham was almost always on the move because of his work for a drilling company.
This led the Wakeman, Ohio Police Department to contact the FBI who contacted the Texas Rangers who removed two computers from Latham’s home in March.
On the computers were more than 1,000 pornographic images. Latham is currently being held without bond while waiting for transportation to Beaumont.
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