Children's Book Author Accused of Trading in Child Pornography

This is one of the more bizarre news items I've seen in the last few weeks but, if you really think about it, it may not be all that surprising. In fact, it reminds me of all those stories about Cub Scout pack leaders who turn out to be child molesters.

K.P. Bath is accused in Portland, Oregon, of writing books for the very age group of children for which he also seems to have a perverted sexual interest. This is from the OregonLive.com:

A federal prosecutor said Bath spent the past few years writing children's books as he actively traded illegal photos and videos with other accused collectors. In one of his online chats, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Gary Sussman, Bath wrote, "I'm glad there are molesters out there" because they supplied images of children being sexually violated by adults.

In an online chat with another accused child porn collector, Bath wrote, "I wish a 9 yr old was doing that to me," Sussman told the courtroom. "This," he added, "from a man who's writing books for 9-year-olds."

Bath fell under suspicion of federal agents in recent years when two agencies -- the FBI and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE -- began independent investigations of the author's alleged trading of child pornography.

Sussman told the courtroom Monday that when ICE agents searched Bath's home last June, seizing a Compaq Presario computer, portable memory devices and DVDs, they found movie clips of children -- some of them bound -- crying as they were sexually abused.

Bath has now lost his publishing deal with Little, Brown Books for Young Readers and will have to look for a new publisher for the book that the New York publisher has taken off its Fall 2010 schedule.

This kind of thing, if the charges stick, is more than disgusting; it is scary for parents, especially for those who may have taken their children to a book signing of Bath's or might be wondering if he visited local schools to promote his books. Wow...