Police: Man Used Child Porn To Keep From Killing Family
UPDATED 05/19/11 7:38 a.m.
JOLIET, Ill. (CBS) -- A man from southwest suburban Crest Hill is now being held on $1 million bond, after telling police he used child pornography to distract himself from thoughts of killing his wife and two young daughters, ages 4 and 6.
As WBBM Newsradio 780's Dave Berner reports, Joshua K. Price, 26, was arrested March 29, and faces three child pornography possession charges that could land him seven years in jail, according to court records. His bail was originally set at $250,000, but was increased at a Wednesday hearing.
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Another student found the flash drive and gave it to a lab assistant, who looked on the drive to see if he could find its owner.
The assistant found photos of girls "who appear to be under 13 years old engaged in sexual activity," Comanda said, interspersed with homework and papers with Price's name on them.
The worker turned over the drive to city police, who arrested Price and seized computers and flash drives from his apartment.
Since his arrest, police said Price was "very honest" in videotaped interviews, though. They said he has post-traumatic stress disorder after serving in the military in the Middle East, and he was using child pornography to take his mind off his anger.
Will County Detective Joseph Fazio also said Price told him the pornography "keeps him from thinking about killing his wife and children." His daughters are 4 and 6, according to court records.
Police said they found 1,700 images on his computer. They showed not only pornography, but images of dismembered women.
"If these images are staged images and not genuine," prosecutors wrote in a request for higher bond, "the level of staging appears very sophisticated."
Judge Edward Burmila interrupted a hearing on that request Wednesday after hearing how Price used the pornography, and he set Price's bail at $1 million.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
