Prosecutor: 800,000 pics and videos assessed in child pornography case

Investigators in a child pornography case against a Roaring Fork Valley resident need additional time to complete their work because of the massive amount of alleged evidence, a prosecutor said Wednesday.

Johnny Lombardi, a deputy district attorney in the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s office, asked a judge for a continuance of the case against Peter O’Grady until Dec. 23.

“They’re still finishing up the forensic examination,” Lombardi said. “We got a preliminary report about a week ago. It’s one of the most extensive child pornography cases the forensic examiner has ever seen. He is currently up to over 800,000 pictures and video files.”

Lombardi said he shared the preliminary report with O’Grady’s attorney, Julia Stancil. It wasn’t clear if all images and videos were of child porn.

“We are discussing a plea offer in this case,” Lombardi said. Stancil confirmed to 5th Judicial District Judge Paul Dunkelman that her client wanted the case continued until next month to pursue a possible disposition.

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O’Grady, 69, was arrested June 30 after the Eagle County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at his home in Missouri Heights to confiscate computers, storage devices and cellphones. The search allegedly resulted in “large amounts of suspected online child pornography being recovered as evidence, and the suspect being arrested,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a news release issued in July.

O’Grady was charged with one count of sexual exploitation of a child by video, more than 20 images, a class four felony. If convicted, the potential sentence is two to six years in the Colorado Department of Corrections, mandatory registering as a sex offender and specific treatment as a sex offender, according to DA-elect Heidi McCollum.

O’Grady is out of jail on $5,000 bond. He is a longtime resident of the Aspen area and owner of Creative Catering.

The Sheriff’s Office launched its investigation after receiving a tip about possible child pornography.

scondon@aspentimes.com