Susan Powell father-in-law: child porn charges

(AP) 

TACOMA, Wash. -- The father-in-law of a missing Utah woman was charged Thursday with voyeurism and possession of child pornography after police investigating her disappearance came across thousands of images of women videotaped without their knowledge, some of his daughter-in-law, Pierce County authorities said.

Steven Powell, 61, was arrested at his Puyallup, Wash., home and set for arraignment Friday in Superior Court.

Prosecutor Mark Lindquist said Powell was charged with 14 felony counts of voyeurism and one count of possession of child pornography. He said police found "thousands of images of females being videotaped without their knowledge, including Susan Powell," on tapes and discs seized from his home during an Aug. 25 search as part of their investigation into her disappearance.

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Missing Utah mother Susan Powell

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Powell is the father of Josh Powell, Susan's husband, who is the only named person of interest in his wife's disappearance. Josh Powell has never been arrested or charged in the case. The two live together in Washington.

"The photographer focuses on the women's buttocks, breasts," Lindquist said in a statement. "Many images were of minor females."

The images included shots of two girls who were as young as 8 and 10 years old at the time, the prosecutor said.

Pierce County authorities determined those girls lived near Steven Powell from June 2006 to August 2007.

Pierce County Sheriff's DETECTIVE Ed Troyer told CBS affiliate KIRO in Seattle, "We found a ton of photographs of kids in parks, kids - where kids congregate. A lot of them are close-up pictures of their body parts ... which are inappropriate. Also, we found pictures of Susan Cox Powell. He's creepy. And I think this just kinda proves that."

A person who answered the phone at the Powell home Thursday night hung up on a reporter.

Police have said Josh Powell has been uncooperative in the investigation into his missing wife. He claims he took the couple's two sons — then ages 4 and 2 — on a midnight camping trip in the mountains west of Salt Lake City on Dec. 6, 2009, the night before Susan Powell was reported missing.

Authorities have spent the last 10 days searching a remote central Utah desert about 30 miles from where Josh Powell claims he went camping that night. At one point, they said they found a "shallow grave" after cadaver dogs alerted them to the spot, but they later found no human remains.

The search of the Powell's home came after police wrapped up a search for evidence in a network of abandoned mines outside Ely, Nev.

Around that time in August, Josh Powell and his father went on national television to discuss the case.

They claimed Susan Powell was promiscuous, emotionally unstable and suicidal, a claim her family denies.

Steven Powell said he had a flirtatious relationship with his daughter-in-law and believed they were in love.

"Susan was very sexual with me," Steve Powell told a national television news show. "We interacted in a lot of sexual ways because Susan enjoys doing that."

Susan's father, Chuck Cox, denied the allegations, and said it was Steve Powell who initiated unwanted sexual advances. Cox didn't return a telephone call Thursday night.

Josh Powell has denied killing his wife or having anything to do with her disappearance.

"I would never even hurt her," a tearful, red-eyed Josh Powell told "Early Show" contributor Hattie Kauffman in August.

Josh and his father have said they believe Susan Powell ran off with another man.

"I'm still thinking she left," Steve Powell told the AP in August. "Hopefully they'll be able to find her at some point ... We don't believe she's dead."

[samXXkiley]

coucou,
It's disgusting!
unfortunately such sick are numerous, often the victims are afraid to denounce
"au revoir"

[fervan-2009]

NOW, I hope Susan's parents get custody of those two little boys. How sad this is, it just gets worse and worse. I pray those little boys get brought up right.

[Jenna1955]

I wish someone could take the boys away from these two sickos.

[standaman25]

They are all Mormons. So this is normal behavior for them.

[DoctorGlennPHD]

Say what??

[kenodenis]

national1942 hit it on the head. Agreed.

[jnostromo]

It could be possible that Susan Poweel found the pron and the husband and father in law killed her to cover it up. I still believe both are involved in her murder

[mecanik-2009]

Very intriguing. I think we will find out much more in the near future.

[national1942]

According to police the (then)4 year old confirms the camping trip. With this new evidence regarding the father-in-law I am hightly suspicious of HIM. It is just possible that the husband came home and found something going on that his father was responsible for and took the children 'camping' to get them away from the scene of something despicable going on...maybe even rape and/or murder.

[pak31]

It still doesn't explain why he won't talk or help the investigation. If he's innocent why is he clamming up and not talking?

[nicmart]

He'll probably spend more time in prison than the (possible) killer, unless...