Man faces 1,365 counts after child porn arrest

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — A 47-year-old New Orleans man faces 1,365 felony counts — and a bond of more than $10 million — after being rebooked on suspicion of filming himself molesting at least two girls numerous times.
The New Orleans Advocate reports (http://bit.ly/Jxjpnw ) an arrest-warrant application portrays Edward Bush, a U.S. Department of Agriculture employee, as a self-styled pornographer who sexually exploited his female victims and sold the images for profit.
New Orleans Police Detective Marcia Willis-Watson, of the department's Child Abuse Division, said Bush used his computer and camera equipment to record his "sexual encounters" with a female who was 12 when the alleged incidents began in 2003.
On equipment taken from Bush's home, police also found video and still images of Bush and a second victim engaged in intercourse and oral sex. That victim is now a 22-year-old woman.
Bush was "observed setting the scenes by placing video cameras in multiple positions to capture every angle of the sexual abuse the (first) victim endured at his hands," police allege.
In three of the videos, the victim wears a "makeshift blindfold" while Bush tries to have sex with her, according to Willis-Watson. In one, she said, "the victim makes several attempts to yell and move away to stop Edward Bush, but to no avail."
In all, Willis-Watson reported viewing 667 images and recordings that revealed the girl "in sexual and pornographic positions and encounters." Bush is seen molesting her in 26 of them.
Several of the images were filmed over a five-year period ending in 2008. The first victim told police that Bush was selling them for profit, according to the arrest-warrant application.
Bush was already in jail, arrested for the alleged sexual abuse and some pornography counts, when police searched the computer and camera equipment on Nov. 21.
He was first booked Nov. 6 on suspicion of four counts each of aggravated sexual assault, forcible rape and pornography involving juveniles. Bond was set at $1.3 million.
Bush was rebooked Nov. 20 on 189 counts related to possession or distribution of pornography involving juveniles. Bond for those charges totaled $37,800.
The new charges include three counts of aggravated rape, a count of forcible rape, 26 counts of child molestation, one count of possessing three or more pornographic images with intent to distribute, and 667 counts each of producing pornography involving juveniles and possessing the same pornography.
Bush was rebooked Dec. 18, and bond was set for each of the 1,334 child pornography counts at $5,000, along with $25,000 for each of the child molestation counts, $500,000 for each of the aggravated rape counts and $275,000 for the remaining counts.
It was unclear whether Bush has an attorney. The lawyer cited in online court records, Ike Spears, said he does not currently represent him.