Task force nabs SM man for possessing child porn
By Daily Press staff
A Santa Monica man has agreed to plead guilty to possession of child pornography after more than 100 illegal images were found on his work computer.
The case against Marvin Gerhard Starr, 40, originated when his employer discovered pictures and video images of child pornography on Starr’s computer. A subsequent investigation revealed 121 pictures and 15 videos containing child pornography and two fictional short stories detailing explicit sexual acts involving minors.
Starr was not arrested. He fashioned a plea agreement through his lawyer and is expected to be sentenced in the next few weeks, according to Thom Mrozek, a spokesman for the US Attorney’s Office. It remains to be seen whether or not Starr, who did not immediately return calls seeking comment, will serve jail time.
A task force committed to preventing and fighting crimes against children has developed a total of 19 criminal cases against Southern California residents accused of possessing child pornography or attempting to entice minors into engaging in unlawful sexual conduct.
Eleven of the defendants were arrested Thursday morning, while three others — including Starr — have already agreed to plead guilty.
The cases are the result of investigations by the Southern California Regional Sexual Assault and Exploitation Felony Enforcement Team, a multi-agency task force that investigates crimes involving the sexual exploitation of children.
The SAFE Team consists of investigators from federal, state and local agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the California Department of Justice, the LA County Sheriff’s Department, the LA Police Department and the US Postal Inspection Service.
Under the “Amber Alert” law, which was signed by President Bush on April 30, the charge of possession of child pornography carries a statutory maximum penalty of 10 years in federal prison, and the charge of distribution of child pornography carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years.
Starr’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant US Attorney Kevin Lally.
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on October 31, 2003. Read the original PDF.