Child-porn creep admits guilt

ROME, Ga. - A man who produced videos of himself sexually abusing a young girl - sometimes hiding behind a Mardi Gras-style mask - pleaded guilty yesterday to being the man behind what prosecutors called one of the most popular child-porn series in the world.

James "Bart" Huskey was accused of sexually assaulting a minor and posting progressively violent photos and videos of him and the girl - which authorities have dubbed the "Tara" series - on heavily guarded Internet sites.

Huskey, 38, could face up to 70 years in prison and a $750,000 fine after pleading guilty to producing, receiving and distributing child pornography. He could also face rape charges.

The guilty plea marked the end of a two-year investigation that began in Australia and ultimately helped crack what authorities say was a sophisticated child-pornography ring that protected members using encrypted Web sites and timed tests meant to verify users' knowledge of child pornography.

Federal authorities began probing the ring after Australian police alerted them to an investigation in child-pornography traders. The FBI agents soon found disturbing videos of a girl as young as 6 being sexually assaulted.

The man in the postings grew more aggressive over time, and the last one, dated November 2007, showed the man holding a large knife toward the girl's body. But authorities struggled to identify the man because his face was often blurred and he sometimes wore a Mardi Gras-style mask.

The group also zealously guarded its members, said federal prosecutor Francey Hakes. It was a "sophisticated and extremely organized" group that required prospective members to pass a timed test and banned them from chatting and phoning other members so that they couldn't identify each other in case one was caught, she said.

Hakes said that the group also had its own bank account and appeared to have ordered child pornography from outside producers, distributing the material as far away as Canada, England and Germany.

The investigation turned when authorities were able to track down Huskey's location by identifying footage shot from the interior of his car, said Hakes. Prosecutors say that footage from other scenes, including scenes shot in a hotel, also helped them locate him.

Federal authorities said that there is pending prosecution against others in the ring, but declined to give details.

Huskey, a former private tennis coach in the north Georgia city of LaFayette, stood silently with his eyes downcast throughout the plea. Two of his relatives accompanied him to the courtroom, and both refused comment.

Prosecutors said that the girl, who is now 9, is safe and that she has been referred to programs that provide therapy for victims of child sexual abuse. But authorities say that the damage that has been done to the girl is incalculable. *