WICHITA FALLS, Texas (23 Sep 2003) -- Eight more charges were filed Tuesday against a Bowie man being held in Wichita County Jail in connection with possession of child pornography. Elvis Roberts, 41, of Bowie was charged earlier this month with four counts of possession of child pornography in connection with an incident July 10, according to court records. But following joint searches Aug. 23 by Bowie Police and Wichita Falls Police, the additional possession of child pornography charges were filed Tuesday. More charges are also likely to come, police said. Police in Bowie and Wichita Falls ran search warrants on locations in both cities on Aug. 23 that led to the additional charges, Wichita Falls Police Sgt. Kyle Collier said Monday. One of these locations was Roberts' business, Scuba Quest, in Wichita Falls, Collier said. The joint operation began after an undercover Internet detective from New Hampshire told Wichita Falls Police that Roberts had sent him several pictures of child pornography by e-mail. "I guess the whole way he thought he was talking with a 14-year-old boy," Collier said. Collier said that more charges against Roberts could be filed and that Wichita Falls detectives were continuing their investigation. When a child pornography case is found, the community must also look for children who may have been victims, Kathryn McKinney, Patsy's House executive director, said. "Child pornography is certainly not a victimless crime," she said. "That means a child has been sexually violated and they are a victim." McKinney said in general that parents should talk with their children following reports of charges of child pornography. She also urged parents to contact authorities if necessary. | | An important job is "making sure parents realize there has been a case . . . because their child may be a victim and they not even know it," McKinney said. Technology makes child pornography more common in today's times, Collier said. "Of course it is a crime that is occurring in our present age. It's something we have to be aware of," he said. "In most cases they are sexual perpetrators of children. They use the Internet to strengthen their trade." McKinney said the Internet also makes it easier to get child pornography for people searching for it. "We're seeing more instance of it," she said. "It certainly is a greater problem than ever before ... because of the Internet and people's ability to transmit images." Collier and McKinney also recommended that parents pay attention to a child's time on the Internet and the people they talk to. Parents should reinforce safety rules about not giving addresses and phone numbers out to people through the Internet and should also feel free to block sites for the child's safety. "As parents, you should always monitor sites on the Internet that your child is visiting," he said. "You've got to stay on top of this every day." Roberts was being held Tuesday evening in Wichita County Jail on a total of $390,000 bond in connection with the 12 total charges. According to the public records Web site publicdata.com, Roberts was convicted of soliciting a child in Dallas County in 1983. |
