Local man faces child porn charges

Detectives say a Springfield man confessed to having “tens of thousands” of pornographic images of children.
http://www.rutlandherald.com/article/20130629/NEWS02/706299937

Published June 29, 2013 in the Rutland Herald Local man faces child porn charges By ERIC FRANCIS CORRESPONDENT WHITE RIVER JUNCTION — Detectives say a Springfield man confessed to having “tens of thousands” of pornographic images of children. Daniel Gay Jr., 41, sat rigidly behind the defense table in the White River Junction criminal court Friday afternoon as an attorney entered innocent pleas to seven felony counts of possessing and distributing child pornography. Matthew Raymond, an investigator for the Vermont Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, wrote in an affidavit that beginning in March he began tracing an Internet address from which he was able to download videos of children engaging in sex acts with adults. Some of the graphic videos had names that suggested they had been filmed in foreign countries such as the Philippines and Venezuela, Raymond wrote. After using identifying Gay’s home in Springfield as the apparent physical location of the Internet address, police said, they showed up with a search warrant Friday morning and spoke to Gay’s wife, who was the only person home at the time. After she denied ever seeing child pornography downloaded at her house, police said they called Daniel Gay at work at the municipal sewer plant in the village of Bellows Falls, according to the affidavit. Raymond said Gay voluntarily returned to his home where he confessed to having less than 50 child pornography videos on his computer. But he also led police to small flash drives which he said contained “tens of thousands” of child porn images, the investigator said. Police seized the computer equipment and during Friday afternoon’s arraignment Assistant Attorney General Evan Meenan said additional charges may be forthcoming once forensic examiners have had a chance to review the material. Meenan said that so far there is no evidence that Gay himself took any of the pictures or videos he is accused of making available on the Internet. During the hearing, defense attorney Brian Marsicovetere pointed to Gay’s lack of criminal record and his history of having worked at the state Department of Corrections and the U.S. Postal Service before landing his current job as indications that Gay was not someone for whom high bail should be set. Judge Robert Gerety Jr. agreed that Gay was entitled to some benefit of the doubt as a lifelong resident of the area, so he ordered him to sign for an unsecured $100,000 appearance bond rather than post bail while his case is pending. Gay faces up to 50 years in prison and lifetime registration as a sex offender if convicted.