(TheConservativeTimes.org) – A Michigan gymnastics photographer was arrested and charged with possessing and distributing adult material containing children after an FBI search of his home turned up hundreds of obscene child images on his hard drive.
The FBI began the investigation on May 11 after investigators looking into peer-to-peer sharing programs used to exchange illegal, explicit materials stumbled on a computer used to download 14 files that used names consistent with files containing illicit images of children. The downloaded images showed the genitalia of pre-pubescent girls, Fox 2 Detroit reported.
Coordinating with Wide Open West (WOW!), agents traced the IP address to the home of David Eric Yellen in Royal Oak, Michigan, a photographer who works for Grand Blanc Gymnastics Co. The agents obtained a search warrant for the address, which was executed on June 1.
In searching Yellen’s hard drive, investigators found at least fifteen hundred files depicting child exploitation. Agents also found a folder labeled “BFK,” which Yellen said in questioning stood for “Barefoot Kids.” In the folder, investigators found at least 200 images of the bare feet of children.
Yellen also admitted that he had inappropriate child images on his devices but denied taking any of the pictures himself. He also admitted to using the BitTorrent file-sharing program but denied using it to upload or download illegal images.
Yellen maintained that the obscene materials found on his devices had been downloaded 10 years ago. Still, he denied knowing that the content in his possession was available for others to download.
According to MLive, Grand Blanc Gymnastics sent an email to the families whose children have attended their facility addressing Yellen’s arrest and letting them know that none of the disturbing content found in his possession involved children associated with its facility.
Following a detention hearing on June 5, Yellen was released on bond.
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