Investigators search for bodies at home of Seattle brothers charged with child pornography

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Investigators search for bodies at home of Seattle brothers charged with child pornography

A child’s hat, found burned inside the Seattle home of three elderly brothers arrested Monday for alleged child pornography possession, has prompted at least one investigator to search for a possible connection between the men and local missing persons cases.

Investigators have begun searching the property for possible victims after the hat – along with writings from the oldest brother, regarded as a “manifesto” by authorities – was discovered, according to KIRO. The document reportedly contained writing about “Satanic rituals, kidnapping, raping and killing girls.”

Investigators are searching a Seattle home after a child’s burned hat was discovered in the house.

A Grays Harbor Sheriff told KIRO he’s investigating a possible connection between the three brothers and the 2009 disappearance of 10-year-old Lindsey Baum, who was last seen walking home from a friend’s house in McCleary.

Authorities found the home of the three brothers — Charles Emery, 82, Thomas Emery, 80 and Edwin Emery, 79 — packed with child pornography, children’s toys, girls’ clothing and graphic notes about child sex abuse and homicide, according to police.

“It’s very clear that these three individuals have an obsession with young female children, they’ve had this obsession for most if not all of their lives, and they acted on it,” Capt. Mike Edwards, who leads the Seattle Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, said. “These writings express desires to kill children.”

Edwin Emery admitted to police that he molested female family members in the past, the Seattle Times reported, but there was no immediate evidence of other physical crimes.

In 2013, Edwin had taken his computer to get serviced when computer store staff contacted law enforcement after finding child pornography, according to the Times.

The arrests Monday came after a family member alerted authorities after discovering boxes of obscene material in the garage while cleaning the home.

Three elderly Seattle brothers arrested on child pornography charges

Three Seattle brothers, aged 78 to 82, were arrested Monday for allegedly possessing child pornography to “satiate their deeply rooted deviant interests,” police said.

The brothers’ home was jampacked with sexual photos and videos of young girls, children’s toys, girls’ clothing and graphic notes on child sex abuse and homicide, according to police and prosecutors.

The three – Charles Emery, 82; Thomas Emery, 80; and Edwin Emery, 70 – were arrested Monday and charged with two counts of second-degree possession of child pornography.

They are being held on $500,000 bail, the Seattle Times reported.

Police said Edwin Emery admitted to molesting female family members in the past but there was no immediate evidence of other physical crimes.

According to police, the brothers, who lived in the same home for more than 50 years, spent “a lifetime accumulating” their collection of images and videos.

“The investigation revealed that each of the defendants has a sexual interest in minor children and have shared the majority of their lives sexually abusing children to whom they had access and exploiting children depicted in child pornography,” Cecelia Gregson, senior deputy prosecutor with King County, wrote in the charging papers.

Police said Edwin Emery admitted to molesting female family members in the past. Police said the evidence was uncovered when a family member cleaning the home discovered boxes of obscene material in the garage. The family member is the legal guardian to the oldest brother, Charles Emery, who was recently moved into a senior residential home because of his dementia.

In the boxes, investigators found a large quantity of items including “handwritten notes detailing the kidnapping, torturing, raping and murdering of young girls.”

Police said Thomas and Edwin Emery claimed they hadn’t gone into the garage for years and that it had contained “Charles’ hobby.” However, a more than 30-hour search of the brothers’ home uncovered sexual images of children throughout the home.

Investigators also found dozens of pairs of girls’ penny loafers, underwear and toys.

A single-serving vodka bottle and note indicating the alcohol had been given to a child to facilitate the sexual abuse was also found.

The brothers had lived in the home since 1962. They never married or had biological children of their own.

This was not the first time the Emery brothers have been investigated for child pornography.

In 2013, Edwin Emery took his computer to get serviced and staff contacted police after finding sexual images of minors. While he was investigated, charges were no filed.

Prosecutors did not indicate why charges weren’t filed at the time, the Seattle Times reported.

The newspaper said investigators are searching additional properties linked to the brothers for “the presence of child exploitation materials and evidence of kidnapping, abuse, and child homicide.”