Newswatch 50
October 9, 2008
http://www.newswatch50.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=c0b74d4f-e457-43d3-bb39-8f04da217b95
A former pastor in St. Lawrence County will face local charges for allegedly having child pornography on his computer.
The Sheriff's Department charges 60 year old Merton Parks of Fine with possessing a sexual performance by a child, a Class E felony.
Detective Sgt. Albert Duquette said federal officials determined the images weren't graphic enough to warrant a federal prosecution.
The 111 photos found on Parks' computer all involved nudity but only four involved children in sexual activity, he said.
Parks resigned this week as pastor of the First Baptist Church in Oswegatchie after learning he was under investigation.
He was arraigned in Canton town court and released without bail into the supervision of the county probation department.
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Sheriff's detectives say Parks came under investigation as part of "Operation Flicker."
The federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement Cyber Crimes unit specializing in child exploitation, based in Massena, tracked Parks as he allegedly used his credit card to buy child pornography via his computer.
The computer was located in an office of the church where Parks was the pastor.
Investigators from the Federal Computer Forensics Lab in Virginia were able to take incriminating images off the computer and notified local law enforcement, sheriff's investigators said.
Rev. Parks admitted to The Watertown Daily Times this week that he had downloaded images of young teens, but claimed he didn't know they were illegal.
He said he did it to help with a medical problem related to his inability to have marital relations with his wife.
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