Posted at: 11/14/2009 4:30 PM
Updated at: 11/15/2009 11:25 AM
By: WNYT Staff

Print Story  Email to a Friend

Averill Park man linked to international sex slave trade

The U.S. Attorney's office says that Lester Dutcher, 50, admitted to downloading electronic files, images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

State Police say Dutcher used various computers at home and work and programs including Yahoo! Messenger and "Limewire" to chat with individuals he believed to be in Europe and Nigeria.

Documents show Dutcher attempted to purchase the women and fly them here to the Capital Region.

In one chat, from June 1, 2007, Dutcher admitted writing "I am not looking for a wife looking for someone to be my toy and maby (sic) share her with friends."

Authorities said their investigation spanned two years. When interviewed, the U.S. Attorney said Dutcher admitted to attempting to buy a girl from Nigeria who he would use to clean and cook and "have sex with us" meaing Dutcher and his wife.

There was no answer at Dutcher's home in Averill Park on Saturday. He will be sentenced in February.

BELOW IS THE FULL RELEASE FROM THE U.S. ATTORNEY'S OFFICE. Caution to some of the explicit details.

ALBANY -- United States Attorney Andrew T. Baxter and Harry J. Corbitt, Superintendent of New York State Police, announced Friday that Lester Dutcher, 50, of Averill Park pled guilty in U.S. District Court before Senior District Judge Thomas J. McAvoy to counts receiving child pornography and the "attempted importation of female aliens for the purpose of prostitution and other immoral purposes."

In connection with his plea, Dutcher admitted the following in a written plea agreement and during his plea proceedings:
Between October 2006 and August 28, 2008, Dutcher, while either in his residence, or his work office, used various computers to access the internet wherein he utilized Yahoo! Messenger; "Limewire" file sharing software; and various websites to view and obtain electronic files containing still images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  Dutcher then downloaded such still images and videos to the aforementioned computers and saved them in electronic sub-folders, or in some cases, saved the electronic files to a Maxtor external hard drive or to six separate DVDs.

On August 27, 2008 investigators received consent to search one of the Defendant's aforementioned computers.  Investigators identified suspected child pornography on this computer and used the evidence seized as a basis to apply for a search warrant to search the Defendant's office space and computers.  On August 28, 2008 investigators executed a search warrant of the Defendant's office space and computers.

Forensic examinations of the aforementioned computers, hard drive and DVDs, all of which belonged to the Defendant, were subsequently conducted.  Approximately 100 movie files and several hundred still images which depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, as those terms and phrases are defined in Title 18, United States Code, Section 2256(2), were recovered from said computers and electronic storage devices. Said images depict individuals under the age of 18 engaged in, among other things, vaginal sex, oral sex, anal sex, masturbation and the lascivious exhibition of the genitals and pubic area.  All of the images recovered depict actual, as opposed to computer generated, images of minors engaged in such conduct.  A number of these images depict prepubescent minors engaged in such conduct.

Dutcher knowingly and willfully received and possessed the aforesaid images.  He also received, downloaded and possessed these images knowing that they depict minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.  All of these images had either been transported in interstate or foreign commerce or were produced using materials that had been mailed, shipped or transported in interstate or foreign commerce.  Dutcher obtained such images from, among other places, individuals and websites located outside the State of New York.   Moreover, such images, and the actual computer used to obtain and download these depictions, were transported in interstate and foreign commerce and were produced using materials that had been mailed, or shipped or transported in interstate and foreign commerce.

On August 28, 2008 Dutcher was interviewed by law enforcement officials.  During this interview he admitted to owning or using the aforementioned computers, hard drive and DVDs.  Dutcher stated that he obtained, via the internet, still images and videos that contained child pornography and that he saved some of these files into a separate electronic folder entitled "young."  The Defendant also told investigators "that's what I'm into." and that he had been viewing and receiving child pornography for about one year.

Between about October, 2006 and August 28, 2008, DUTCHER, while either in his residence, or his work office, used the aforementioned computers to access the internet wherein he utilized Yahoo! Messenger.  Yahoo! Messenger allows users to communicate in real-time via online "chat" sessions.  While using Yahoo! Messenger, Dutcher communicated with others using various e-mail addresses and screen names.

Dutcher frequently "chatted" with individuals believed to be in Europe and Nigeria. These individuals claimed to have access to women who could be purchased for several thousand dollars and then shipped to the purchaser in the United States who would then own the women as prostitutes or sex slaves.  During various chat sessions, Dutcher made the following statements to individuals purporting to have female aliens for sale as prostitutes or sex slaves:

- on November 29, 2006, Dutcher wrote to the seller of the slaves that he had a customer who wanted to buy a sex slave: "that is why I have a man that wants [sic] young girl...no you and I will buy her and sell her for more"

- on November 29, 2006, Dutcher wrote and sent a link to a real estate listing of a house in the Northern District of New York that Dutcher was contemplating purchasing in order to use to house any slaves: "this is [sic] house I have to go look at for you and girls"

- on December 4, 2006, Dutcher wrote about the amount of money he could charge men who would patronize the slaves for sex: "I will tell the men 200.00 for 1 hr and 350.00 for 2 hrs...I yhink [sic] I can get then 4 or 6 men each day...I will try to get a group even going 150.00 for each man 3 at a time"  
  
- on May 25, 2007, Dutcher wrote "am looking for a small young girl now for a man...he wants to buy for 1 month...he wants young blond grien [sic] eys [sic]"

- on June 1, 2007, Dutcher wrote "I am not looking for a wife looking for someone to be my toy and maby [sic] share her with friends"

- on June 1, 2007, Dutcher responded to a question of what the slaves would be doing for the Defendant: "thay [sic] work to pay me back and pay for house and food...most have sex with men...some strip"

During the search executed on August 28, 2008 at the Defendant's work spaces, investigators seized various documents associated with the Dutcher's attempt to import female aliens for the purpose of prostitution and for immoral purposes. These documents included (i) an ‘agreement' dated October 31, 2006 with the "Organization" in which the Defendant had to agree in writing to take care of any women purchased; (ii) an airline itinerary for a one way trip on Lufthansa Airlines between Lagos, Nigeria and Albany, New York; and (iii) several Western Union money transfer receipts sent by the Defendant to various individuals in Nigeria who held themselves out as sellers of female prostitutes.  The Western Union money transfer receipts were sent in 2006 and 2007 and total $6,000.00 in U.S. currency.

When interviewed by investigators on August 28, 2008, the Defendant said that he was attempting to purchase a female alien from Nigeria who would be exploited by using her to "clean" and "cook" and "have sex with us [the defendant and the defendant's wife] too."
  
Sentencing was scheduled by Judge McAvoy for February 16, 2010, at 1:30 p.m. in U.S. District Court in Albany, New York.  Dutcher faces a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment, with a mandatory minimum of five years of imprisonment.  He also faces a fine of up to $250,000.00.  Dutcher was released pending his sentencing. The case was investigated by the New York State Police.