Man Suspected of Molesting Child May Be Part of Ring

A man arrested in San Clemente on suspicion of performing a lewd act with a child may be involved in an international child pornography ring, the FBI said Thursday.

When Leland Ernest Stevenson Jr., 45, of Boulder City, Nev., was taken into custody Wednesday, he was carrying large quantities of pornographic materials, authorities said.

Special Agent John Schreiber said in Las Vegas that a search of Stevenson’s Boulder City home uncovered thousands of items, including pornographic magazines, photographs, films and videotapes.

“Apparently he was involved in every aspect of it, from photographs that depict him and male subjects, to producing them, to distributing them, to importing them,” Schreiber said.

Authorities said 95% of the material seized involved males from infants to boys in the late teens, and that much of it was from Europe.

“We have indications that this was international in scope,” Schreiber said. “This gentleman apparently maintains a residence in India, has traveled to Africa, Asia and a number of European countries. And we have two residences for him in Washington, D.C.,” he said.

Details regarding Stevenson’s arrest in San Clemente were not immediately available. He was released on $5,000 bail and reportedly was en route to Boulder City. A federal judge in Los Angeles Thursday issued a warrant for Stevenson’s arrest on charges of interstate transportation of obscene material and sexual exploitation of children.