8 nabbed on U.S. child porn charges

PITTSBURGH, Nov. 25 (UPI) -- Eight people have been arrested and charged in Pennsylvania in connection with an online child pornography case, U.S. officials say.

Court documents filed Tuesday in Pittsburgh say the case began early last year when an unidentified Western Pennsylvania man was arrested for child pornography and agreed to become an informant in an investigation of a ring allegedly run by a California man, the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette reported.

Prosecutors allege that Stephen Sims, 55, of San Leandro, Calif., acted as the gatekeeper for the child porn network.

"(Sims) vets potential new group members and advises current members regarding group membership and security practices that are intended to hide the group's illicit activities from discovery," the newspaper quoted the complaint as saying.

Also arrested in the sting were Fred Woolum, 58, of Lexington, Va.; Patrick Carney, 65, of Manchester, N.H.; Paul Schwartz, 48, of Lathrop, Calif.; Daniel Cox, 53, of Houston, Texas; Brandon Miller, 22, of Omaha, Neb.; Ryan Chiles, 21, of Hampton, Va.; and Dave Dean, 42, of Houston, the Post-Gazette reported.