3 locals arrested in porn sweep

Three Huntington Beach men have been arrested in a massive federal sweep for possession of child pornography, using online tracking programs to find offenders on file-sharing networks.

Gary Samuel Cochran, 50, of Huntington Beach, has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography and creation of child pornography, with an enhanced possible sentence for prior sexual offenses.

Nathan Renteria, 23, Huntington Beach, was arrested Monday evening in Westminster and is charged with possession of child pornography, FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller said.

Lam Hoang Lai, 24, Huntington Beach, was arrested Feb. 28 as part of the same sweep, but has already pleaded guilty to possession of child pornography.

The investigations have gone on for months, involving agencies including federal prosecutors, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the FBI and the Secret Service, authorities said. Investigators named 55 Southern California residents indicted in the sweep.

“There’s a large, very, very large universe of this crime,” ICE spokeswoman Virginia Kice said. “In this case the targets were individuals who were using this increasingly popular software, file-sharing software, to trade child pornography.”

Investigators can track known pornographic files to those who download them over peer-to-peer networks, then search their homes for corroborating evidence, according to an affidavit filed prior to Cochran’s arrest.

Cochran had images and videos on his computer of girls younger than 10 engaged in sexual acts, according to the affidavit.

Cochran not only had child pornography on his computer but likely shot some of the materials himself, U.S. Dist. Atty.’s office spokesman Thom Mrozek said.

While Mrozek said he couldn’t discuss how prosecutors were sure he produced pornography, he did say, “We wouldn’t make that accusation unless we were sure.”

Cochran has prior convictions for possession of child pornography and performing lewd acts upon a child younger than 14. If convicted of creating child pornography, he faces a minimum 35 years in prison.

Renteria faces up to 10 years in prison if convicted.

The sweep, which may name more defendants over the next week, is the largest of its kind that the investigating agencies know of, Mrozek said.

“Certainly the large number of defendants is unprecedented,” he said.