Two men arrested on charges of plotting to kidnap, molest and kill a boy in a pornographic videotape had advertised in computer bulletin boards, according to a court document.
U.S. Attorney Henry Hudson disclosed Monday that Dean Ashley Lambey, 34, of Richmond, Va., and Daniel Depew, 28, of Alexandria, were arrested Aug. 14 after a six-month investigation involving more than 100 FBI agents in San Francisco, Richmond and the Washington, D.C., area. They were being held without bail pending grand jury action.The two men, charged with conspiracy to kidnap, had not targeted a particular child, Hudson said. "The plan was to kidnap a child from northern Virginia or purchase the child through a group of people," he said.
Lambey and Depew used computer bulletin board networks to advertise their sexual preference.
One of the men said he could buy a child for $12,000 from an out-of-state source, according to an official who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity.
Authorities said the boy would be videotaped while being tortured for up to two weeks and his body washed in acid to remove evidence before being disposed of in a marsh in Maryland.
The investigation began in February when an undercover California police officer tapped into a computer bulletin board system "designed to assist people seeking contact with others interested in diverse sexual pursuits," according to a court affidavit unsealed in Richmond on Monday.
The officer placed a message in the bulletin board seeking individuals interested in children. Lambey, a real estate agent, responded, saying he liked boys between the ages of 8 and 13, and was interested in making a sexually explicit movie with children, the document said.
Lambey said in a telephone conversation with the police officer that "I think the pleasure of doin' it would be worth it," the affidavit said.
San Jose, Calif., Police Chief Joseph McNamara, whose officers were involved in the probe, called the case a "model of national law enforcement cooperation" and praised three undercover men.
Authorities said the California officers traveled to Virginia several times and met with the suspects, discussing the purchase of the child for use in the video, before contacting federal officials who took over the case.
Hudson said "FBI agents from Richmond and Washington followed them 24 hours a day to make sure no child or citizen was placed in danger."
Depew, who works as a computer clerk, stored detailed descriptions of his sadomasochistic acts under the heading of "vital info" on an office computer, the affidavit said.
The two men face life in prison if convicted, Hudson said.