GREENE – Village police arrested a South Canal Street man Wednesday morning for possessing and trying to send child pornography, according to Chief Steven Dutcher.
Dutcher said police seized numerous computers, photographs and videotapes containing illicit material involving children at the apartment of James W. O’Brien, 52, located on 41-A S. Canal St. across from the Greene middle and high schools.
O’Brien has been charged with possessing a sexual performance by a child and attempting to disseminate indecent material to minors, both felonies.
He was arraigned in Village of Greene Court and remanded to the Chenango County Correctional Facility on $2,500 bail.
“That was my recommendation to the judge,” said Assistant District Attorney Robert M. Larkin, referring to the bail amount set at the arraignment. “Mr. O’Brien has no criminal record of any kind.”
Larkin added: “These things occur very quickly. You get a phone call, there’s an arraignment and you make a recommendation and that’s it. There are a lot of differing opinions on what people think bail should be and what judges think bail should be.”
O’Brien was still in jail as of Thursday morning.
“Because of the nature of the offense and the location of (O’Brien’s) residence to the school, I consider this a very serious matter and a very serious crime,” said Chenango County District Attorney Joseph McBride Thursday morning.
McBride said O’Brien’s bail would be subject to review at further hearings. He is scheduled to re-appear in Greene court Tuesday morning.
Greene police were tipped off by authorities in Nogales, Ariz., after O’Brien contacted one of their investigators who was posing as a 14-year old girl on the Internet. Those conversations led to a no-knock search warrant that was executed on the 41-A S. Canal St. apartment Wednesday.
“We wanted to move as fast as possible because of the residence being located directly across from the Greene school,” said Dutcher. “The whole process went very smoothly considering the circumstances.”
Dutcher said the New York State Police Computer Crime Unit in Albany played an instrumental role in the investigation.
“I can’t say thank you enough to the State Police Computer Crimes Unit,” he said. “Upon contacting them, they immediately responded and provided a wealth of knowledge and support on this case.”
Authorities say O’Brien has been employed as a bartender for the last 18 years.
“Unfortunately, this is not an uncommon situation in today’s society,” said Dutcher, referring to the arrest. “However, technology has helped law enforcement track and locate crimes of this nature in an easier manner.”