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Seeking clues from a photo

A young, unidentified victim of pornography is out there . . . somewhere. Officials hope an innocent photo of another young girl can help them find her.

By GRAHAM BRINK
Published April 28, 2005

[AP photo]

Orange County Sheriff's Office detectives hope someone can identify the girl in this photo. They believe the girl, who is not a victim, can provide information pertinent to an international child pornography case.

For three years, detectives in Toronto watched as sexually explicit photos of a young girl kept popping up on the Internet.

The detectives could do little, even as the 200 or so photos became collectors items for pedophiles. They had few clues about who the blond girl was or where she might live.

But the toll clearly showed on her hollowed face.

"She's a collector's item," Toronto Police Det. Sgt. Paul Gillespie recently told the Los Angeles Times. "I know somebody out there could lead us to her."

Now, he might get his wish.

The Orange County Sheriff's office released a photo Wednesday of another young girl they called a "material witness." The girl is not a victim and does not appear in any photos with the abused girl, detectives say.

But she showed up in a collage of small photos on an Internet site that included pictures of the abused girl, who looks to be about 12, said Sheriff's Sgt. Matt Irwin.

Background items in the photos of the potential witness appear to be the same as those in a few of the sexually explicit photos, including a sofa and exercise equipment. The similarities led detectives to believe the photos were taken by the same person.

The photo released Wednesday, which could be 3 or 4 years old, shows a girl of about 8 to 12 years old, with dark hair and bangs, lying on a couch. She is looking at a pink hand-held computer game. She's clothed in a lime-colored tank top and denim shorts with yellow trim.

The detectives in Orange County hope someone will recognize the girl, which could lead them to who took the photos.

"That could get us to the abused girl," Irwin said. "Or at least help us identify who she is."

Earlier this year, the Toronto police released six photos from the collection of sexually explicit photos. They digitally removed the abused girl's image and then enhanced background objects.

The photos showed places where the girl was abused - a fountain, an elevator, a bed and an in-room hot tub.

The detectives hoped someone would recognize the setting. They also sent images of flowers and trees to horticulturists to help identify where the photos were taken.

Calls flooded in after the photos appeared on Toronto television. Several leads led detectives to a Walt Disney World hotel in Orlando. They concluded that some of the photos were taken at the hotel during a family vacation, and the others at a home.

Detectives combed through hotel logs and questioned any staff members who might have witnessed suspicious activities. Since one of the explicit photos depicted the girl on a motorcycle, detectives checked Harley-Davidson records against hotel records.

The girl, though, was not identified.

"Our hearts go out to the victim and her loved ones as we do everything we can to support law enforcement in its investigation," Disney spokeswoman Kim Prunty said in a statement.

Irwin said that the investigation has been frustrating, since the identity of both girls remains a mystery.

"Working these kinds of cases, you become very sensitive to victims' privacy issues," Irwin said. "We decided after much consideration that intervening in the ongoing abuse was more important than the possible harm that could come from releasing this photograph of the potential witness."

Irwin said both of the girls could live anywhere, not necessarily in the Orlando area. Some clues from the photos suggest the abused girl might live in the northeastern United States.

"It's wait and see, now," Irwin said. "Our next step is dependent on what kind of feedback we get from releasing this photo."

Florida law prohibits the intentional identification of the victim of a sex crime, which makes it problematic for the Orange County detectives to release photos of the abused girl.

Toronto detectives have not ruled out releasing a photo.

They are weighing the victim's privacy rights and the possibility that releasing a photo could put her further at risk. The perpetrator could take drastic measures if he or she knows the detectives are closing in.

"Could harm be caused? Absolutely," Gillespie told the Los Angeles Times. "Would it be more harm than would be caused for the rest of her life if we didn't do anything? We don't know. We're trying to determine the best thing to do."

Anyone with information about the case can call toll-free (866) 635-4357. Authorities have offerred a $5,000 reward to anyone who provides information that leads to them locating the material witness.

Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 01:19:11]