Weho Man Convicted of Possessing Thousands of Images of Child Porn

A convicted child molester pleaded guilty today in Los Angeles to possessing thousands of computer images of child pornography, some depicting victims as young as 2 years old.

Droobie Pooh, 46, of West Hollywood was arrested in November 2007 by federal officials after a search of his computer turned up illicit photos and videos of child porn, including images of toddlers engaged in sexual activity with adult men, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

At the time of the search, Pooh admitted to molesting two underage girls who were found in his home, according to court documents.

He was subsequently prosecuted and sentenced by state authorities for child molestation in 2008. At the conclusion of his six-year prison sentence, Pooh was taken into federal custody on the felony child porn possession charge.

He faces up to 10 years in federal prison, lifetime supervised release, and a fine of as much as $250,000 when he is sentenced Jan. 28, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joey L. Blanch said.

Pooh came to the attention of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Operation Predator in 2007 after he was found to have purchased a membership to an Internet child porn site called “Sick CR” -- the Sick Child Room.

The images found on Pooh’s computer consisted of “real children -- not digitally created children -- downloaded from the Internet,” Blanch told U.S. District Judge Dolly Gee, adding that a number of victims had been identified.

Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, more than 2,300 people in California have been arrested by federal officials for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors and child sex trafficking.

There was some discussion today of Pooh’s unusual name.

Asked by the judge to give his legal name, the defendant responded, “Droobie Rico Pooh.”

Gee then asked defense attorney Craig A. Harbaugh, “So his legal last name is Pooh?”

The attorney answered affirmatively, adding, “It’s complicated.”

--City News Service

PHOTO Patch file photo.