Logan man charged in 'severe' child porn case

LOGAN — A man was arrested earlier this month in "one of the most severe cases of child pornography" the Cache County Sheriff's Office has recently discovered.

Douglas Bessinger, 47, was booked into the Cache County Jail for investigation of 40 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, the sheriff's office announced Friday. Bessinger was being held on a no-bail option.

Based on a tip received from an out-of-state informant, detectives from the sheriff's office and Utah's Internet Crimes Against Children task force served a search warrant July 7 at a residence in southwest Logan. Bessinger was charged the next day in 1st District Court in Logan with the 40 counts, all second-degree felonies.

Computers, cameras and documents, including what appeared to be contracts signed by people to be in pornographic movies, were collected as evidence, according to police. Bessinger works with a video production company that makes porn movies, said Cache County Sheriff's Lt. Matt Bilodeau.

When asked whether Bessinger had filmed and created the child porn found in his possession, Bilodeau said that was all part of the ongoing investigation. He noted, however, "We believe there may be some victims in Utah."

The children in the files seized from Bessinger varied in age, Bilodeau said. Police did not say whether there were any child porn movies other than computer files, such as VHS tapes or DVDs. "We don't know how this is going to unfold," Bilodeau said.

In addition to child porn, some of the files found on Bessinger's computer included gay porn and bestiality, he said. The FBI has been asked to join the investigation, Bilodeau said.

Anyone who may have been a victim or has information about Bessinger can call the sheriff's office, at 435-755-1000.

A pre-trial conference for Bessinger was scheduled for Monday.

E-mail:preavy@desnews.com