Switz City man faces federal child pornography charges

U.S. marshals served the 11-page sealed federal complaint naming John T. Laughlin, 32, on Monday. The complaint was filed March 7 by Indiana State Police Detective Joel Metzger, who also serves on a task force with the U.S. Office of Homeland Security, Office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Laughlin is charged with one count of child exploitation of minors arising from the use of a minor to produce a VHS tape showing a visual depiction of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The offense is alleged to have occurred between May 2005 and March 2006.

As part of this count, Laughlin is alleged to have placed a clock radio that was equipped with a hidden video camera on the tank of the toilet in his Worthington apartment's bathroom to film a 13-year-old boy urinating with his pubic area visible on the tape.

Laughlin is also charged with one count of knowingly possessing videotapes and computer disks containing hundreds of visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct.

A state police investigator alleges that lab analysis showed more than 600 images of minors engaging in sexual activity. The content of the videos also shows incidents of sexual bondage or sadistic or masochistic sexual abuse of minors, according to a charging court document filed in federal court.

Mary Bippus, spokesperson for the U.S., Attorney's office in Indianapolis, said Laughlin was transported to Indianapolis where he appeared in U.S. District Court for the Southern Indiana before Magistrate Judge Kennard P. Foster.

He is currently in custody at Volunteers of America (VOA), a community corrections like facility in Indianapolis, Bippus explained.

She said federal charges can be filed one of three ways -- by complaint, by indictment or by the filing of an information.

"He has not been indicted," Bippus said. "The criminal complaint was sealed until his arrest."

She said the federal complaint is similar to a probable cause affidavit and is used to provide a judge with evidence that a crime has been committed and the issuance of an arrest warrant is valid.

No hearing date was immediately set.

Laughlin's federal case originated in Greene County with the filing of state charges more than two years ago. The case was subsequently turned over to the Indiana State Police.

Laughlin was first arrested March 2006 on two counts of child molestation and one count of child exploitation. A day later, he was also arrested on charges of child molestation, possession of child pornography and voyeurism.

According to a probable cause filed by Worthington Town Marshal Dennis Conaway, he was contacted by former Worthington Officer Jeff Pickard about a possible child molesting incident.

The parents of the then 13-year-old boy came to Conaway's office and expressed concern that the child may have been molested. Conaway contacted the Department of Child Services.

According to the probable cause affidavit, the male victim said that during May-July 2005, he had been at an apartment in Worthington with Laughlin. He said Laughlin applied oil to his back and touched him in inappropriate places.

Also, according to the probable cause affidavit, Laughlin presented the victim with a personal computer and said he could watch the victim anytime he wanted to through a camera which was installed on the computer. The boy also said Laughlin presented him with magazines, containing images of naked women, and other inappropriate gifts.

On another occasion between May and July 2005, the boy alleged Laughlin had furnished him with alcoholic beverages. He alleged that he passed out and awoke the next morning with Laughlin lying beside him. The boy was dressed in only his underwear, but had no idea how he became undressed. The boy said he then went to take a shower and saw Laughlin trying to take a photo of him. Laughlin then, after the boy had showered, showed him the photo. The photo was on Laughlin's personal computer and showed the boys genitals.

The boy said Laughlin instructed him not to tell his parents out of fear of what the boy's father would do.

When searching his residence, Conaway found numerous computer readout sheets with many Web site addresses that relate to pornography covering youth sex and gay activities.

On Feb. 1, 2007, Laughlin entered a guilty plea to possession of child pornography and voyeurism -- both class D felonies as part of a negotiated plea agreement.

The prosecution recommended that he be sentenced to the Indiana Department of Corrections for consecutive terms of two years on each count for a total term of four years.

The state also recommended that Laughlin serve six actual months of a one-year sentence in the Vigo County Work Release Center, which was subject to his acceptance by the center and his payment of all fees and costs.

According to the court documents, the state also recommends that Laughlin be electronically monitored under the supervision of Greene County Community Corrections/Greene County Probation subject to his payment of all costs and fees. The remaining months would be served on formal probation.

In late June, 2007, the negotiated plea agreement filed on behalf of Laughlin was rejected by a special Greene Superior Court Judge Elizabeth Mann of Bloomington.

On Feb. 13, Laughlin's attorney Jessie Cook filed a motion to continue stating that Laughlin was the subject of a federal investigation involving the same allegations as form the basis for the state's prosecution. Both parties agreed that the prosecution should continue until the federal jurisdiction concludes its investigation.

The court accepted the motion on Feb. 15 and a change of plea hearing was set for April 25.