By Amy Pavuk
Orlando Sentinel
January 19, 2011
http://www.orlandosentinel.com/news/local/breakingnews/os-accused-man-child-porn-church-abus20110119,0,1592162.story
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| Samuel Warlick faces federal child-porn charges. |
An Oviedo man arrested last week on child pornography charges, who was also accused by the Presbyterian Church of sexually abusing children at a housing facility in Africa in the late 1980s, will be back in court this afternoon.
Today's detention hearing will mark the second time Samuel Shamba Warlick will appear in Orlando federal court on charges that he possessed and distributed child pornography.
The FBI began investigating Warlick in an undercover capacity in December via a peer-to-peer file sharing program.
According to a criminal complaint, Warlick had nearly 900 files available in his shared directories. An agent downloaded 40 images and six videos from Warlick and determined most of the files were of child pornography.
On Jan. 12, agents searched Warlick's Pecan Street home, questioned and arrested him.
Warlick told agents he possessed child pornography for at least 10 years, the complaint said. Warlick also told investigators he posed online as a 16-year-old boy and befriended other boys so he could persuade them to send him naked photos of themselves.
Warlick's arrest comes three months after the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.) published a nearly 600-page report, which is unrelated to the FBI case, accusing him of sexually abusing multiple children at a housing facility for missionary families in the Congo.
The report details inquiries into sexual abuse claims that occurred on 10 Presbyterian mission fields, spanning a 40 year period.
Warlick is accused of sexually abusing multiple children in Congo while he was a teenager.
The panel that conducted the review said it named Warlick in the report because of aggravating factors, including that his behavior could have been prosecuted criminally had it occurred in the United States.
Today's hearing is slated to begin at 2:30 p.m. Check back for updates.
Amy Pavuk can be reached at apavuk@orlandosentinel.com or 407-420-5735.
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