Criminal Complaint on Child Pornographer Bart Huskey Released Monday

June 25, 2008

(Editors Note: Because of the graphic nature of the description of the sexual abuse of the female victim, the initials of the female victim, and other information contained in the Federal Criminal Complaint, released June 23, RomeNewsByWatson.com has decided not to link to the document. Those wishing to view it may do so by logging on to the PACER website, at https://ecf.gand.uscourts.gov and signing up for a pay account, and searching in the Northern District of Georgia date base.)

The government released its criminal complaint of James Bartholomew Huskey, former LaFayette, Georgia Rec Depratment Tennis Pro, on Monday, June 23.

The Complaint and Affidavit filed by Special Agent Michael L. Yoder, FBI Cybercrime Squad, details the hierarchy of a complex and sophisticated international criminal enterprise, which first came to U.S. attention when in June, 2006, representatives of the Queensland Police, Brisbane, Australia, notified the FBI’s Innocent Images Unit several members and the leader of an international child pornography ring resided in the United States.

The complaint describes a 48 member organization which used PGP encryption methods on a UseNet, (aka Newsgroup), internet share system. According to the complaint, “To date, investigators have collected extremely valuable and incriminating evidence from various members of the group”.“The group currently consists of approximately 48 members. There is a defined hierarchy or structure to the group and all members must abide by strictly enforced written security measures and Standard Operating Procedure in order to retain their membership status”.

The complaint also details the various testing measures a new member is subjected to before being allowed in, and only after being invited by a current member. The consortium has grown to such an elite status, that according to the complaint, this enterprise has been able to make special requests of child porn producers, such as Huskey, for exclusive membership use only, and not for distribution to the international child porn community. This enterprise also has procured an “E-Gold Account” for use by its members.

In November, 2007, the “Tara” series was brought to the attention of investigators. This is the series linked to LaFayette, Georgia’s Bart Huskey. By tedious examination of the surroundings in the various segments of the “Tara” Series, investigators were able to identify a particular painting, “Inspired Hillsides”, in one hotel shot. Forensic Accounting examination of painting sales spread sheets revealed that such a painting had been sold to either the Carrolton, Georgia, or the LaGrange, Georgia Jamison Inn. The hotel manager of the Carrolton, Georgia Jamison Inn was able to confirm that Bart Huskey was in that particular room with that particular painting on a particular date tied to one of the segments of the Tara series.

In another brilliant piece of forensic accounting work, fabric in a bedspread identified with the Fingerhut Corporation, was found in both one of the “Tara” segments as well as on bedroom pictures found on Sherrie Ann Huskey‘s, (Bart Huskey’s wife’s), “My Space” webpage. Forensic accounting examination revealed the bedspread and other identified items were sent to the Huskey’s home address.

A third “Tara” segment, revealed an assault set in a 2003-2005 Sunburst Orange Metallic colored Pontiac Aztec. Records revealed that a 2005 Pontiac Aztec was registered to Sherri Ann Huskey.

THIS BEGS THE QUESTION: Why has Bart Huskey’s wife, Sherri Ann Huskey, not also been arrested?

Teresa Watson

NOTE: For a different perspective on this, see our new posting under Whine & Opine.

June 20, 2008

LaFayette, Georgia Tennis Pro Indicted as International Child Porn Producer

(Editors Note: Because of Bart Huskey’s position through the LaFayette Parks and Rec Department, working with children in the LMJC, I am posting comments below this Federal Press Release, from a prominent individual whose daughter was a student of Huskey’s. If you know of anyone who may be a potential victim of Huskey’s, please you local Police Department, or the Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Oglethorpe Police Department and the Walker County Sheriff’s Office).

NORTHWEST GEORGIA MAN ALLEGED TO HAVE PRODUCED AN INTERNATIONALLY-KNOWN SERIES OF
CHILD PORNOGRAPHY IMAGES ARRESTED ON FEDERAL CHARGES

James Bartholomew “Bart” Huskey Makes Initial Court Appearance in Atlanta Late Today

Atlanta, GA -JAMES BARTHOLOMEW “BART” HUSKEY, 38, of LaFayette, Georgia, has been arrested by federal, state and local law enforcement authorities on a federal criminal complaint charging him with manufacturing child pornography and uploading it to the Internet. HUSKEY is being held pending a bond hearing this coming Monday at 2 p.m. before a federal magistrate in Atlanta.

“This defendant allegedly produced a notorious series of images of child sexual abuse that have circulated around the world, with demand from the most hard-core and despicable child porn consumers,” said David E. Nahmias, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Georgia. “The series of videos depict a girl being abused from the time she was approximately 5 years old until she was 9 years old. Law enforcement around the country has taken extraordinary steps to find this alleged predator, and he has now allegedly been found in Northwest Georgia.”

According to United States Attorney Nahmias and the information presented in court: In June 2006, authorities in Australia informed FBI Headquarters’ Innocent Images Unit about an international investigation into the activities of a group of child pornography traders. These traders used sophisticated security measures to protect their trading of child porn from authorities. FBI agents began investigating this group and recovered particularly graphic and disturbing photos and videos depicting sexual abuse of a young girl being traded among the group. Over the last two years, the images of this child being violently sexually assaulted grew gradually worse.

The Innocent Images Unit of the FBI, working with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), the United States Postal Inspection Service, the Richmond Field Office of the FBI, Maine State Police, the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, and the Atlanta Field Office of the FBI, worked to identify the victim child, who had been given a specific name by the perpetrator of the abuse. Using details in some of the photos and videos, law enforcement was able to identify HUSKEY as the alleged perpetrator of the sexual abuse depicted in the series of images.

On June 16, 2008, HUSKEY was arrested at his residence in LaFayette, Georgia. According to the criminal complaint, HUSKEY admitted he had abused the child victim and had sent the images of the abuse out over the Internet. The victim was also identified and interviewed, and she confirmed that HUSKEY had sexually assaulted her over a period of time and had videotaped the assaults.

HUSKEY’s two children have been taken into protective custody by Georgia state authorities. Anyone with information about this case or any other potential victims in Northwest Georgia or any other location are urged to call the FBI in Atlanta at 404-679-9000.

This case was investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Richmond, Virginia, the Innocent Images Unit at FBI Headquarters and the Safe Child Task Force at FBI’s Atlanta Division; with key investigative assistance from the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit of the Maine State Police and the United States Postal Inspection Service. Assistance has also been provided by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI), Catoosa County Sheriff’s Office, Fort Oglethorpe Police Department and the Walker County Sheriff’s Office, along with input and assistance from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).

Assistant United States Attorneys Francey Hakes and Corey Steinberg are prosecuting the case.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood. In February 2006, the Attorney General launched Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative designed to protect children from online exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices around the country, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state and local resources to apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the Internet. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

For further information please contact David E. Nahmias (pronounced NAH-me-us), United States Attorney, or Charysse L. Alexander, Executive Assistant United States Attorney, through Patrick Crosby, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Attorney’s Office, at (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the HomePage for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.usdoj.gov/usao/gan.

Former LaFayette Parks and Rec Tennis Pro, Bart Huskey, Arrested as Producer of International Child Porn
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Note from RNBW Reader:

“He was “sanctioned” for lack of a better word, by the LaFayette Recreation Dept. to teach tennis lessons at the Public Tennis courts and even organized local Tennis tournaments and helped get his students involved in state amateurs tournaments across GA. He supposedly played on the pro tour for a while until a career ending back injury. He was an independent contractor because people paid him directly (and lots of money) instead of paying through the Rec Dept. Seemed like a perfectly normal and very knowledgeable guy at the time….but there were times when I was a little curious about his almost “overdevotion” to his young female students. I watched my daughter around him closely, (over-protective, Imagine that!), but I’m glad I did. She was a potential victim but there’s no telling how many of his students were actual victims.

Some of the girls had been under his instruction for a lot longer! I hope it all comes out in the end”

RNBW Reader