TEXARKANA, Ark. -- A Texarkana man appeared before a federal judge this week on a charge of child pornography possession.
Geoffrey "Gunner" May, 46, was originally charged in Miller County circuit court after a search of his home by state and federal law enforcement in January. The Texarkana, Arkansas, residence is within 500 feet of an elementary school, according to a probable cause affidavit.
The search resulted from an investigation into the use of peer-to-peer software exchanges involving the Freenet network. According to the company's website, Freenet is a "platform for censorship-resistant and privacy-respecting publishing and communication."
A computer-forensic-certified examiner with the Arkansas State Police examined a "custom-build computer" in the living area of the home and allegedly discovered the Freenet application on the device. Compressed folders stored on the computer allegedly contained more than 100 files, including those of prepubescent and early-pubescent girls engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
Some images of child pornography that have been widely shared on the internet have been identified by groups such as National Center for Missing and Exploited children. Unique digital identifiers associated with the known files allow law enforcement to quickly determine if items are illegal.
A specific series with a known victim and offender were allegedly found on the computer in May's home during the field examination.
"Other items of evidence were taken, and a full forensic analysis will be completed by the FBI Computer Analysis Response Team," the affidavit states.
An indictment unsealed Tuesday in the Texarkana Division of the Western District of Arkansas accuses May of possession of child pornography. May appeared Tuesday for arraignment before U.S. Magistrate Judge Barry Bryant with Texarkana lawyer John Pickett and entered a plea of not guilty to the charge.
May is free on a $250,000 bail set after his arrest. Bryant permitted May to remain free on an unsecured $5,000 appearance bond.