Waterford man charged with possession of child pornography

A 57-year-old Waterford man charged Thursday with possession of child pornography told investigating officers that he was in the process of downloading child pornography when they went to his house with a search warrant on May 8.

The police seized Teddy Childers Jr.’s computer and other items, then returned to 17 Mullen Hill Road on Thursday and served Childers with a warrant charging him with first-degree possession of child pornography. Childers is accused of downloading 129 movie files containing pornographic depictions of prepubescent girls.

According to an arrest warrant affidavit prepared by Waterford Detective Edward M. DeLaura, Childers came to the attention of a special agent of the Naval Criminal Investigative Service in Glynco, Ga., who was conducting an undercover operation of the sharing of child pornography through Internet peer-to-peer networks. The agent tracked the activity to Childers’ home using his IP address, and police obtained a search-and-seizure warrant.

Confronted by Waterford police and FBI agents, Childers said he was involved in the downloading of pornography and the two other men who lived there had “nothing to do with it.” He said he began downloading movies in February 2009 and that he was downloading a file in his bedroom when they arrived.

At his arraignment, Judge Barbara B. Jongbloed ordered Childers held in lieu of $100,000 bond and transferred his case to the court where major crimes are tried. His next court date is July 24.