DANVERS — A former Danvers man facing child pornography charges claims that the dozens of images found on his laptop were accidentally downloaded by a file-sharing program.
But police and a judge aren't buying Jeremy Fife's story, and now Fife is being held on $10,000 cash bail, set during his arraignment yesterday.
If he makes that bail, he will be required to wear a GPS monitoring bracelet.
"I think it's much more likely your client's a collector," Salem District Court Judge Richard Mori told Fife's attorney before setting bail and imposing conditions that include an order that he have no contact with children, not go near any schools, and not possess or use a computer.
Prosecutor Michelle DeCourcey said investigators discovered at least 100 images of children involved in sexual acts with other children and adults on a laptop computer that Fife, 33, had left at work at Leslie's Swimming Pool Supply on Route 1.
On Saturday, a store manager noticed that the laptop appeared to be hot and opened the lid to shut it down. When he did that, he noticed that the desktop was filled with files that had graphic names referring to sexual acts, with the ages of the children, ranging from 2 to 16.
Danvers police questioned Fife, who had recently moved from Danvers to Southbridge.
DeCourcey said Fife told police he did "bulk" downloads of music from Limewire and that he would frequently come across material he did not want, including pornography. Fife said he "deleted as many as he could" but said he had been busy and had recently had no time to delete downloaded files.
Police noted in their report that Fife appears to have no other obligations in his life besides his job, which his lawyer said he started in May.
DeCourcey said police asked him why he didn't stop downloading material from Limewire if he had to delete so much illegal child pornography, and Fife had no answer.
The prosecutor also said Fife insisted to police that he does not have an e-mail account or a cell phone, two assertions that she and police questioned, calling him a flight risk.
But defense lawyer Alice Jayne said her client had cooperated with police and called his story "plausible."
Jayne said it's likely that many people who have used computers inadvertently downloaded material.
She also noted that the computer had been kept at the pool business for three weeks with a live Internet connection and suggested that much of what was on there was downloaded within the last several weeks.
The suggestion of inadvertent downloading has been raised in a number of recent child pornography cases, including that of a Swampscott man and former teacher who was convicted earlier this year of possessing child pornography.
A pretrial hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10.
Lower-hassle Screening to Be Tested at Airports
Raw Video: Dog Rescued From Icy Colo. Water
Helmet Camera Captures Calif. Fire Rescue
Worker Tells 911: Powell 'exploded the House'
Triple Win: Santorum Takes Minn., Mo., Colo.
Injured Marine Inspired by Homecoming
No Rape Charges Against Son of NYPD Commissioner
Egypt's Ruling Generals Play Risky Game With US
Former Komen Exec Defends Funding Cut
Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
Calif. Gay Marriage Ban Ruled Unconstitutional
Jury Selection for Ex-UVa Athlete Enters 2nd Day
Cab Driver Helps Wis. Family Escape House Fire
Staff Removed at LA School During Abuse Probe
Runaway Goat Leads Police on Wild Chase
