WESTFIELD – A 67-year-old Huntington man was released on $1,000 personal surety Thursday after he was arraigned on a charge of possession of child pornography.
Westfield Det. Daniel Gustafson reports in a document filed at Westfield District Court that he investigated a report that child pornography was found stored in a computer in the possession of a third party who surrendered it to him.
Gustafson said that, based on the evidence reported to him, he secured a warrant to search the computer and delivered it to Trooper Matthew Simpson at the Springfield State Police detachment for a forensic examination.
The next day, Gustafson reports, Simpson advised him that evidence of child pornography had been found on the computer and the relevant files had been copied to a USB memory device.
Gustafson found that the copied files contained materials which met the legal definition of child pornography and coordinated his investigation with State Police investigators who worked a parallel investigation and sought a warrant to search the home of the suspect, Edward C. Bruneau, 67, of 104 Pond Brook Road in Huntington.
He reports that, when the troopers secured the warrant, he was invited to join the Troopers when, along with Huntington Police Chief Robert Garriepy, they executed it.
Gustafson reports that Bruneau acknowledged that the computer in question was his and said that he is the only person who uses it.
He told Gustafson that “by accident he opens child pornographic (web) sites” when “he is searching for dirty cartoons illustrating children.”
Bruneau also said that he had been fined recently by the F.B. I. for viewing child pornographic materials.
He eventually admitted that he searches for Internet “for sites like ‘father daughter sex’, ‘young girls’ and ‘young girls in underwear’.”
The search of his home revealed “two bags of girls youth underwear” in a basement room which he said he collects at his workplace and buys in stores.
Gustafson said that Bruneau works in a custodial or maintenance capacity at a West Springfield hostelry and reports the man said that he frequently finds discarded underwear in the trash cans there.
Bruneau also told Gustafson that more than 20 years ago he had been obliged to vacate his home after “he was accused of touching his daughter when she was about ten” and was not allowed to return until he completed a “class”.
Gustafson said that, when he asked Bruneau about the class, “He stated you know” and agreed when Gustafson asked him if it was a “how not to be a pedophile” class.
Bruneau was arrested for possession of child pornography via the computer on Wednesday and was arraigned in Westfield District Court before Judge Philip A. Contant on Thursday.
Contant ordered that Bruneau “Not be in (the) presence of any children under age 18 without another responsible adult being present” and he was released on $1,000 personal surety pending a Jan. 22 hearing.
