CBS 21 News broke the story in October about a Child porn investigation spanning Cumberland County. By mid-October more than 20 search warrants had been issued by investigators on computers & homes of men suspected of viewing, downloading and in some cases sharing child pornography.
Friday the investigation took a large step forward after police arrested 18 people and they faced District Judge Tom Placey. All of them received $50,000.00 bail. Three are 15 year old boys.
Local Professor Dr. John Ransom of Dickinson College also faced charges of possesing child porn. Dickinson College said he is now suspended.
Detectives using Gnutella software, which is used for file sharing and downloading music and files, located the child porn files downloaded. District Attorney Dave Freed said this is a message to all people in Cumberland County. He went onto say his office will not necessarily have large amounts of arrests at one time but they will continue forward with their program of targeting suspects as the detectives have time.
State Police and local agencies help their unit with gaining intel to make the arrests also, new software and computers also have helped.
The names below are the suspects arrested Friday.
• Joseph Edward Agnew, 25, whose last known address was the 800 block of Ridgewood Drive, Hampden Township: 16 counts.
• Phares Alrix Barnhill, 35, whose last known address was the first block of Hidden Noll Road, North Middleton Township: five counts.
• Michael Charles Bechtel, 26, of the first block of Rife Drive, Silver Spring Township: 31 counts, plus one of possession of marijuana with intent to deliver.
• Shane A. Burkett, 25, of the first block of Pleasantview Drive, Silver Spring Township: five counts, plus one of possession of a Schedule III controlled substance steroid.
• Thomas Joseph Hassett, 32, of the 4100 block of Cove Court, Hampden Township: eight counts.
• Ralph William Herrold, 54, whose last known address was the 400 block of Wren Court, Hampden Township: 57 counts.
• Randolph Cornell Irvin, 38, of the 100 block of West Willow Street, Carlisle: 21 counts.
• Woodrow A. Klinger, 36, of the 200 block of Gale Street, Middlesex Township: seven counts.
• Jordan Anthony Michaels, 20, whose last known address was the first block of Goldenrod Drive, Middlesex Township: five counts.
• Michael Christo Mueller, 38, of the 100 block of Salem Church Road, Hampden Township: five counts.
• Matthew R. Musselman, 21, of the 1300 block of Scenery Drive, Hampden Township: 93 counts.
• Kyle Lee Paxton, 20, of the first block of Spring Garden Estates, South Middleton Township: 46 counts.
• John A. Williamson II, 21, of the first block of Buttonwood Lane, Middlesex Township: 25 counts each of possessing and disseminating child pornography and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility.
• John S. Ransom, 55, of the 600 block of Highland Avenue, Carlisle: two counts of possession of child pornography and two counts of criminal use of a communications facility.
