Editor's Note: The San Mateo County Sheriff's Office released four of the 10 booking photos of the suspects, which were uploaded Saturday, March 24.
However, after further consideration, Patch editors have decided to remove the photos and the suspects' addresses to protect the privacy of the suspects' families.
Authorities have arrested 10 men in connection with a countywide child pornography investigation, police announced Thursday afternoon.
The 10 suspects were arrested Thursday following a sweep of suspected child pornography users and distributors in San Mateo County, according to police.
A cluster of suspected child pornography users detected in San Mateo County led the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force to launch the sweep, which began early Thursday morning, police said.
Officers with warrants searched 11 homes in San Mateo County, and computers with pornographic images and other evidence allegedly linking the men to the distribution and or possession of child pornography were seized.
Nine felony arrests were made on men suspected of possessing and/or distributing child pornography, with additional investigations continuing from evidence seized.
Nine of the men were booked into San Mateo County jail on suspicion of felony charges related to child pornography, and another was arrested for an unrelated warrant.
More than 100 investigators from more than 20 law enforcement agencies collaborated with the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force to launch the operation.
Local detectives included teams from the San Mateo County Sheriff's Office, Daly City, East Palo Alto, Menlo Park, Redwood City, San Mateo, and South San Francisco Police Departments, the San Jose Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the US Postal Inspection Service, and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
The following suspects were arrested:
1. Gordon Lee, age 44, of Daly City. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.
2. Christopher Winans, age 24, of East Palo Alto. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.
3. Charles Reyes, age 46, of San Jose. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for arrest warrants and Possession of Child Pornography.
4. Stephen Wolf, age 64, of Portola Valley. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.
5. Paul Ambler, age 58, of San Mateo. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography.
6. Paul Tazbaz, age 36, of San Mateo. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.
7. Samnang Chun, age 23, of San Mateo. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession and Distribution of Child Pornography.
8. Ritha Chun, age 29, of San Mateo also arrested, for an unrelated warrant on First Ave.
9. Steve Wilson, age 52, of South San Francisco. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.
10. Cruz-Martin Caseiro-Rosas, age 32, of South San Francisco. Booked into San Mateo County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.
The following information has been provided by the ICAC:
The 8-year-old Silicon Valley ICAC Task Force is one of 61 around the nation targeting peer-to-peer file sharing online, evolving from previous investigative techniques when suspects often were identified through chatroom decoy operations. Investigators search for hard-core images involving pre-pubescent children. They connect with suspects who are sharing the images and track their individual IP (Internet protocol) addresses. Investigators then use search warrants to figure out who owns the individual IP address and carry out search warrants for those people's homes. The San Jose Police Department is the lead agency for the SVICAC Task Force.
A key feature of the task force arsenal is a mobile forensics lab that allows investigators in a technology-stocked van to drive up to a suspect's home, seize hard drives and immediately begin searching for evidence that would normally take months to obtain from a state Department of Justice lab.
The SVICAC Task Force has arrested over 40 men for possession of child pornography since November. The task force has conducted a number of child porn enforcement operations in the Bay Area over the last few months, including multiple arrests in Marin County, Sonoma County, Monterey County, Alameda County, San Jose and Oakland.
COMMUNITY SAFETY MESSAGE FROM THE SAN MATEO POLICE DEPARTMENT:
Identification and arrest of individuals viewing and trafficking in child pornography is an important way that local law-enforcement agencies, in coordination with specialized groups like ICAC, prevent tragedies from occurring in our communities. Investigators have found significant links between the possession and trading of child pornography and the actual victimization of children, including a progression by some suspects from fantasy (internet child porn) to reality (sexual crimes against actual child-victims). Frequent operations such as these help keep our communities safe.
The residential location of many registered sex offenders can be located by simply searching the Megan’s Law website:
http://www.meganslaw.ca.gov/ or via CrimeReports.com: www.crimereports.com
Public safety information about keeping children safe on the internet can be found at these websites:
http://www.fbi.gov/stats-services/publications/parent-guide/parent-guide
And you're suggesting that the neighbors of these men somehow knew what they were up to, and therefore deserve to also be punished? What are you basing that on, George? Do you know what your next door neighbors have on their computers? If so, how? Your assertion that the family members of these men must have surely known what they were doing is equally ludicrous. Pedophiles are, by nature, extremely secretive in their actions. Look at high profile cases such as the 2007 indictment of local broadcaster Bernie Ward: Are you seriously going to sit there and insult and defame his poor wife and kids by implying that they were a party to his crimes? Really?
With that said, however, yes I do want to know about those not only convicted, but arrested for child porn. Community awareness is critical. To me, it's not a matter of punishing prior to conviction, but rather knowing what is happening in the area of child predators in my community; and I think that is more than fair and reasonable. Further, this is not just a story about a coincidence find or how law enforcement stumbled across something; this story clearly demonstrates a substantial effort over a long period of time by multiple agencies. That, by itself, doesn't prove guilt, as you note, but it sure increases the odds and as a parent, I want to know. You did not answer my questions Bren, regarding marriage and children. Perhaps you could do that.
To answer your question, I am unmarried and without children. I don't think having kids would change my opinion on this issue, however. I have plenty of friends who are parents, and I would move mountains to protect their kids. I just don't think witch hunts are a very effective strategy for keeping our communities safe. What I do recommend to any parent is reading "Protecting the Gift," by Gavin de Becker, and his previous book, "The Gift of Fear." Both books are excellent resources for teaching parents to recognize the early warning signs of predatory behavior.
Alice Stoddard wrote: 3:34 pm on Friday, March 23, 2012 NAMBLA would most certainly agree with you (caring about due process for pedophiles). I however don't. ------------------------------------------- Wow, Alice. You really need to take a civics class. What happens when somebody wrongfully accuses you of being a pedophile, Alice? You're going to thank the Lord you're living in America and are entitled to due process if that ever happens. Or perhaps you'd be willing to waive your right to due process right now? You know, for the sake of the children.
To this one, let me try an analogy or two: Suppose someone 3 doors down from you woke up to SWAT members, and a few of their closest friends at 3:00 AM to arrest him/her for bank robbery. You wouldn't want to know? Now, bear in mind that we're just talking arrest here, not conviction, but is that going to make a difference in your curiosity? How is this any different? Because it is sexual in nature vs just another crime? That doesn't hold water. For another: let's suppose your school district's superintendent was arrested for molesting second graders. You wouldn't want to know? I sure would. To me, it's not a matter of a rush to judgment. It's a matter of community awareness, my right to know and my right to take appropriate measures to protect my family, or at least guard them until we know for sure. Does this help? & oh, thanks for answering the questions. Until you have kids, you can't possibly grasp parenting - and I mean no disrespect at all by that. I used to feel just like you...until... Once the first was born, my life changed forever and I now know what it's like to be a dad.
Your comment regarding Megan's Law put a smile on my face...you protective bugger you. Now imagine, using that emotion as a foundation and amp it by - a lot - because you are the father of 2 girls; one 8 y/o and the other 6 & 1/2 (can't forget the 1/2, the kids sure won't) and it's your neighbor that law enforcement came to see. Yeah, he lives 3 doors down on the same side. Hardly ever see the guy, but he seems nice enough when you do see him. Let's add that your 2 girls catch the school bus up the street on the corner; up your street, past your neighbors house. How you feel now? Glad you know? Gonna let your girls walk that way by themselves to and from school everyday now? Is he guilty? Dunno; odds aren't in his favor, but we all know OJ didn't do it, right? It's possible. Am I going to go after this guy? No. Am I going to walk with my girls to and from the bus stop? Damn right.
Just a heads up that after some discussion, Patch has removed the street names of those arrested in this story. Best, Laura
3:27 pm on Thursday, August 23, 2012 Very interesting that you are a prominent posted here as well as for the metro Milwaukee market as well. So who exactly are you, a mouth piece for this liberal rag called Patch of maybe some DNC plant? -------------------------------------------------- Weachater, again, it's really weird of you to follow me around and post this exact same comment under at least three different articles that I've commented on. Do you understand you're making yourself look like a crazy person when you do that? Also, would you like to elaborate on your reasons for believing I am a DNC plant? Please be as detailed as possible.