THIS MAKES ME SICK!!!
Date: Nov 21st, 2006 10:55:14 am - Subscribe
Mood: disgusted
COEUR d'ALENE -- The largest discovery of child pornography in Kootenai County history has led investigators to believe a Twin Lakes man was producing and distributing illegal material for profit.
Post Falls police might have cracked the case last spring, but an evidence backlog resulted in Edmund Daniel Bergeman's work computer going unchecked.
Now, it's part of a mountain of evidence investigators are sifting through.
"We've never seen that type of volume before," Sheriff Rocky Watson said Monday. "I can't imagine this was all for personal use. There's quite a subculture industry of people who buy this stuff."
Bergeman is being held on $200,000 bond in isolation at the Kootenai County jail on two counts of sexual abuse of a child.
Kootenai County Sheriff Department Capt. Ben Wolfinger said detectives are reviewing 300 compact discs, which contain "thousands and thousands" of images of children. The discs include child pornography and images of children at Coeur d'Alene area beaches, parks and retail stores, Wolfinger said.
Authorities aren't saying how many victims of child pornography there are on the discs. Watson cited a national statistic that shows a pedophile will have 80 victims before they're caught by police.
"On this one, I don't know how many," Watson said.
Last April, Post Falls police received a complaint that Bergeman was looking at child pornography while at work. They seized his work computer
and sent it to an independent company to unlock its contents. It sat in a long line of computers waiting to be checked, said Lt. Greg McLean.
"Originally, there wasn't a lot to go on because they just suspected he was looking at child pornography," McLean said. "Apparently, he was able to clear the screen off before the person could see it."
McLean expects additional victims will be identified as investigators go through the evidence.
"I am sure the victims will increase as time goes on," McLean said.
It could be three weeks before additional charges are filed against the 46-year-old, said Kootenai County Prosecutor Bill Douglas.
"We're still working with the FBI and going through the evidence," Douglas said. "It's going to take some time."
The sheriff's department is actively seeking victims and if anyone remembers seeing Bergeman taking photos in the area or seeing his vehicle, a teal, 1986 Honda Prelude 2-door with Idaho plates K266734, they are asked to call the sheriff's office at 208-446-1300.
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