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Russia, U.S. arrest suspects in global child porn ring

Kevin Delli-Colli, a representative of the U.S. Customs Service, outlines the case against those involved with Blue Orchid.

Alleged child molesters operated Web site

From Terry Frieden
CNN Justice Producer

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Four U.S. citizens and five Russians have been arrested in an ongoing investigation into a Moscow-based Web site that sold and distributed pornographic videotapes featuring children, the U.S. Customs Service announced Monday.

The 10-month investigation by Russian officials and agents of the U.S. Customs Service has so far resulted in arrests of the alleged pornographers and child molesters in Moscow, and customers in and near San Francisco, California; New York and Portage, Indiana.

Officials said federal search warrants have also been executed in Cambridge, Massachusetts; Tampa, Florida; Salt Lake City, Utah, and San Diego and Santa Barbara, California.

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Related investigations are continuing in European countries, including Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, authorities said.

Customs and FBI officials told CNN the tensions between Washington and Moscow over espionage allegations and the expulsion of diplomats has not hindered cooperation between U.S. and Russian law enforcement officials in conducting the investigations.

Customs agents said the Moscow end of the investigation culminated March 2 when Russian authorities arrested Victor Razumov, known as the "Punisher," who allegedly beat and whipped boys as young as 12 years old. The officials said Razumov appeared in two videos depicting forcible sex and painful sadomasochistic activity as a 15-year-old boy cried.

Most of the pornographic videotapes, which cost from $200 to $300 each, were mailed to customers in the United States.

One of the U.S. citizens arrested was Glenn Martikean of Portage, who was indicted last Friday in Gary, Indiana.

Authorities said that while searching Martikean's home in late January, they learned he was in Moscow attempting to have sex with a child. Customs agents arrested him a few days later when he returned to the United States. He is accused of molesting children between the ages of 10 and 14.

Details of the case were announced Monday at 11 a.m. by U.S. Attorney for Northern Indiana David Capp, who is prosecuting Martikean; Acting Commissioner of Customs Charles Winwood, and Kevin Delli-Colli, director of the Customs Cyber Smuggling Center.

"The global nature of the Internet demands a global response by law enforcement to protect innocent children, regardless of their nationalities," Winwood said.

Another U.S. suspect in the current case is identified in court documents as Seth Bekenstein of Walnut Creek, California.

The international operation against Blue Orchid was first disclosed by Newsweek magazine in a March 19 report. It is the third child pornography distribution network in which U.S. agents joined with Russian authorities.

Customs officials stressed international investigations into child pornography are not new but have increased with use of the Internet.

The FBI also has a special unit that investigates domestic cases of child pornography and molestation by adults using the Internet to contact children.

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