Ga. man held on child porn, meth charges

By BILL POOVEY

Associated Press Writer

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (AP) — Before his arrest in Tennessee on child pornography and drug charges, a Georgia man asked undercover investigators if they were interested in having sex with a young boy and told them he has been involved with child porn and methamphetamine sales since losing his job.

An FBI agent's affidavit shows Gary E. Salles, 57, of Smyrna, Ga., who operates an Internet Web site known as bois4men, was arrested Jan. 17 along with 50-year-old Mickey L. Lattimore at a Winchester motel. The men are in custody pending a Jan. 28 hearing before a federal magistrate in Chattanooga.

A federal prosecutor and Salles's attorney declined comment. Lattimore's attorney could not be reached by telephone for comment.

The agent's affidavit says Salles asked undercover investigators if they were interested in receiving the services of a young boy for sexual purposes and receiving videos of child porn.

The court filing shows that on Jan. 12, Salles uploaded videos depicting sex acts by minor children to his Web site, intending to share them with an undercover investigator in Winchester, about 65 miles west of Chattanooga.

On Jan. 17, after investigators set up surveillance equipment, Salles and Lattimore arrived from Smyrna, Ga., and delivered a DVD computer disc containing images of child porn videos and images. The affidavit also says Salles and Lattimore delivered 1 ounce of meth to an undercover officer.

The FBI agent said Salles told him he has been involved with child porn and meth sales since losing his job at IBM in October 2007. He currently works as a freelance photographer. An IBM spokesman did not return a telephone message seeking comment.

"Salles estimated that during the past year, he had sold a combined total of 10 ounces of methamphetamine at an aggregate price of $30,000 for a profit of $15,000," the FBI agent's affidavit shows.

Salles also said that for the past year he had operated a Web site "geared toward pedophiles and has received 50-60 child pornographic images via e-mail and sent at least 250 child pornographic images to six different individuals via e-mail," the agent said.

Salles is charged with distributing child porn across a state line. Both men are charged with transporting child porn and conspiring to distribute meth, an addictive stimulant.