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Last updated on Sunday, May 12, 2013
(NEW CASTLE) - A Henry County man has been arrested on federal child exploitation charges after a woman found his cellphone containing photos of her son being abused, investigators said.
Stephen Dean, of RTV6 reports, federal investigators said Larry Gene Young Jr. of New Castle admitted that he left the phone behind so that it would be discovered, thus ending his marriage.
The mother of the 6-year-old male victim called New Castle police in March 2012 to say that she located Young's cellphone in her home after she had been suddenly called into work and then asked him to baby sit for both of her children.
Federal investigators said the phone contained nude photos of the 6-year-old boy, and when they questioned Young about the discovery, court records show he made some surprising admissions.
At first, Young told the child's mother that he had snapped the photos of the 6-year-old boy with autism because the child was acting out in a sexual manner.
However, under questioning, agents wrote in court papers that he quickly changed his story and admitted he was sexually attracted to boys between the ages of eight and 10.
Agents wrote that he also admitted that he intentionally left the phone behind at the home so that it would be discovered.
He told the agents that he was under a great deal of stress and wanted to end his marriage with his wife, who is acquainted with the young victim's mother.
He told agents that he wanted to be free from the marriage and also free from his companionship with the victim's mother.
He got his wish. Homeland Security Investigations agents arrested him on felony charges of production of child pornography, and Young filed notice in Indianapolis federal court this week that he intends to accept a plea bargain to admit his guilt.
Assistant U. S. Attorney Brant Cook told the Call 6 Investigators that Young has agreed to plead guilty to a lesser charge of possessing child pornography, which could result in a federal prison sentence of five to 10 years behind bars.
Cook said Young has been locked up since shortly after the pictures were discovered last year, and that he will likely remain behind bars for some time.
Agents said the time stamps on the abuse photographs coincided with the time that Young was baby-sitting the children.
In court papers, agents said that a 4-year-old female sibling in the house also indicated that Young had sexually abused her on numerous occasions as well. No pictures of the girl were found by investigators.
The victims' mother said that Young had previously given her permission to scan through the pictures on his cellphone to look for birthday party photos.
She told investigators that, when she found the phone left behind this time, she figured she still had his permission to view the photos.
Instead of birthday photos, she located the abuse photos in a folder marked "My stuff" belonging to Young, investigators said
Young is scheduled for another court date in Indianapolis on May 20, but a sentencing date will not be set until his guilty plea is formally accepted by the judge.
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