NATIONAL PARK SERVICE

MORNING REPORT

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

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INCIDENTS

Yellowstone NP

Concession Employee Arrested On Child Sex Exploitation Charges

On June 18th, Old Faithful rangers investigated a report they'd received of pornographic images of children on a laptop computer. They seized the computer and identified the owner as a concession employee. NPS agents based in Yellowstone and Denver began an investigation and a search warrant for the computer was obtained and served. On July 23rd, Yellowstone agents and the park's assistant U.S. attorney reviewed a report prepared by the Denver special agent. The report showed that the computer contained approximately 800 sexually explicit images of children, with about 30 of them apparently of children under the age of 13 in sexually explicit positions and in sexual contact with adults. The NPS case agent recognized some of the images from his previous cases as being depictions of actual children and not computer enhanced, created or morphed images. On August 2nd, agents received a report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that revealed that 47 of the images of children depicted on the computer were of known children identified in previous cases. The file attributes of at least 20 of the sexually explicit images of children had file access dates in June and July of 2007, which showed that the files were viewed during the time when the owner was employed at Old Faithful and in Yellowstone National Park. Because the computer owner and suspect was a foreign national and working in the United States on a temporary visa, NPS agents filed a criminal complaint for violations of 18 USC 2252 (knowing possession of material depicting sexual exploitation of minors) and obtained and entered into NCIC a felony arrest warrant for the man. On August 5th, Old Faithul rangers located and arrested him without incident. After his initial appearance and detention hearing before the US magistrate in Yellowstone, he was ordered held and remanded to the custody of the US Marshal. On September 19th, a federal grand jury in Cheyenne issued a true bill and indicted the man. On September 27th, he appeared before the federal district judge in Cheyenne and was ordered detained pending trial or plea agreement. [Brian Smith, Special Agent in Charge]

Haleakala NP

Search Suspended For Missing Swimmer

On the afternoon of Saturday, October 6th, rangers received a report of a missing swimmer in a closed section of a river above Makahiku Falls in Kipahulu. Searches of the river began immediately with the assistance of the Coast Guard and local emergency service organizations, but proved completely fruitless and were suspended on Sunday afternoon. E.P., 27, hiked up to a deep pool above the falls with two companions to do some jumping in the water even through the Kipahulu area has been under a month-long closure due to heavy rains and swift currents. Upon arrival, they talked about the high and swift water and determined that it was too dangerous to enter. When E.P.'s companions turned around to return, they heard a splash behind them. E.P. had either decided to jump in anyhow or slipped and fell into the water. He did not reappear. Investigation also revealed that rangers had talked to E.P. early on Saturday morning and had emphasized that the stream was closed due to high water. Regular patrols of the area will continue and divers will look for E.P. once the river level drops. [Dominic Cardea, Public Affairs Officer]

Delaware Water Gap NRA

Teenager Drowns In Delaware River

D.Y., 19, of Hackettstown, New Jersey, drowned in the Delaware River late on the afternoon of Friday, October 5th. D.Y. was part of a four-person group, which included another adult male and two 17-year-old boys, on an afternoon trip from Hackettstown to the Delaware River. They went wading in the water near Tocks Island on the New Jersey side of the river. D.Y. and one of the other teens then decided to swim across the river. D.Y. began to have difficulty swimming when he reached deeper water, about half way across the river. At that point, the river is an estimated 200 yards wide. D.Y.'s swimming companion, the second adult and a nearby fisherman (unconnected with the group) tried to assist him, but without success, as he floated beyond their reach. Monroe County received a 911 call about two people drowning in the river around 4:30 p.m. Rangers, New Jersey State Park Police and New Jersey State Police immediately responded. At 5:20 p.m., park divers located and recovered D.Y.'s body. He was found in approximately 12 feet of water about 100 yards downstream from where he had entered the river. He was pronounced dead by the Warren County medical examiner. The 17-year old was rescued and taken to Pocono Medical Center , where he was treated and released. [Deb Nordeen, Public Affairs Officer]

OTHER NEWS

The following stories (among others) can be read on either the InsideNPS web site (if you are within the National Park Service) or at the InsideNPS public ‘news digest' site (if you are outside of the NPS). The web sites are, respectively, HYPERLINK "http://inside.nps.gov/" http://inside.nps.gov/ and ( HYPERLINK "http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/" http://home.nps.gov/applications/digest/).

* Northeast Region - The media this morning are reporting on a major environmental ruling that has bearing on NER parks: “A major power company accused of spreading smog and acid rain across a dozen states has agreed to pay at least $4.6 billion to cut chemical emissions in what the government called the largest environmental settlement in federal history. The company will have to pay cleanup and mitigation costs to help heal polluted land in Shenandoah National Park and area waterways, including Chesapeake Bay.”

* Office of Legislative and Congressional Affairs - This week's update on past and upcoming hearings and the status of legislation pertinent to the National Park Service.

* Yosemite NP - San Francisco Chronicle cartoonist Phil Frank, whose strips frequently focused on the parks in general and Yosemite in particular, died on September 12th. On September 24th, a tribute to Frank was held that was attended by 40 uniformed rangers.

* Colorado NM - Darla Sowell, a seasonal visitor use assistant for ten years at the Quarry Entrance Station, passed away unexpectedly at home on Sunday, September 30th, in Vernal, Utah.

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Prepared by the Division of Law Enforcement, Security and Emergency Services, Washington Office, with the support of the Office of the Chief Information Officer and Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. Edited by Bill Halainen ( HYPERLINK "mailto:Bill_Halainen@nps.gov" Bill_Halainen@nps.gov, 570-686-3828).

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