A Vashon Island man alleged to have lost an iPod filled with child pornography now finds himself facing related charges in King County Superior Court.
Filing charges late last month, prosecutors contend Gregory Richard Garcia loaded child porn onto an iPod found dropped on a playfield on the island. According to charging documents, Garcia, a 46-year-old homeless man, admitted to downloading the offensive photos.
On April 18, a man walking near the Vashon Food Bank found the iPod dropped on a ball field there. Examining the device, the man saw the iPod held several folders clearly label as containing child pornography; concerned, the man contacted police.
A King County sheriff’s deputy reviewing the iPod saw Garcia on several non-pornographic videos captured on the device. According to charging documents, the deputy immediately recognized Garcia, with whom he had numerous prior contacts.
The deputy later learned Garcia had been seen with a laptop at several Vashon locations offering free Wi-Fi access. Writing the court, a King County detective noted Garcia had been seen loitering near the Vashon Dance Academy, a dance studio primarily offering classes to girls.
Having secured a search warrant, detectives searched Garcia’s storage unit on May 16 and arrested Garcia.
Speaking with detectives, Garcia allegedly admitted to downloading child pornography to the iPod while contending he wasn’t hurting anyone by doing so.
“He said he didn’t feel like the kids in the videos were being ‘re-victimized’ because he was only using the videos for masturbation … and he was not out molesting children,†Detective Michael Gordon told the court.
Investigators searching Garcia’s iPod and laptop found hundreds of videos showing children being raped.
Suggesting that Garcia may flee, King County Senior Deputy Prosecutor Cecelia Gregson asked that Garcia be jailed on $100,000 bail. King County Superior Court Judge Ronald Kessler disagreed and did not order Garcia jailed.
Garcia is expected to appear in King County Superior Court of June 11. He has been charged with possession of child pornography.
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Levi Pulkkinen can be reached at 206-448-8348 or levipulkkinen@seattlepi.com. Follow Levi on Twitter at twitter.com/levipulk.
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