Throughout his talks with Kincer, though, Edmonds denied ever intentionally seeking out child pornography. He did, however, tell the deputy that he took “full responsibility” for what was on there.
Later, Edmonds gave Kincer another laptop computer that he used but had given to his brother, and the investigator sent both computers to Bedford to be analyzed.
A computer expert found child porn on both machines, according to testimony, but Edmonds was only prosecuted for the images on the desktop.
Bedford County Sheriff’s Office Investigator Ashley Bensinger said she used a variety of tools to examine the computer’s hard drive, including looking for deleted files.
“You start with a broad scope and then you narrow it down,” she said.
Bensinger said she found files titled “11yonotavirgin” and “7yo” along with evidence the computer had been used to access websites typically tied to child pornography with names such as “pre-teen portal.”
In a process that took several minutes on Thursday, Bensinger identified and confirmed 30 images of identifiable child porn she found on the desktop – all of which were entered into evidence. Child pornography was also found on the laptop, according to testimony.
In a strategy he employed throughout Thursday’s hearing, Edmonds’ attorney, Robert Rider, maintained that some of the located images were deleted and, consequently, not in Edmonds’ possession.
