Federal agents: Man filmed child pornography at his Mountlake Terrace home

MOUNTLAKE TERRACE -- Police continue to search a Mountlake Terrace home after a man was arrested for allegedly filming child pornography in the house and then sharing those videos and pictures online.

David Stephens was arrested for suspicion of production and possession of child pornography after federal agents searched his home in the 4400 block of 223rd Street SW Tuesday.

In 2002, Stephens was charged with possession of child pornography, but those charges were dismissed by the Snohomish County Superior Court, stating a search of his computer was unlawful.

According to U.S. District Court documents, federal agents with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security again grew suspicious of Stephens while they monitored person-to-person file sharing networks on the Internet in February. While on one sharing network, known as eMule, federal agents allegedly received child pornography from Stephens. The photos and videos depicted a girl as young as 3 years old engaged in sexual acts with a man.

Stephens allegedly sent multiple videos and photographs to undercover agents over the course of a week.

Agents uncovered Stephens' IP address, court documents show, and went to his home in Mountlake Terrace where he lives alone. Police served a search warrant, and allegedly found multiple child porn videos on his home computer.

A digital camera carrying child pornography was also at the home, documents show. Agents said some of the objects in the home, including a bookshelf and unique picture frames, matched background objects spotted in the illegal recordings.

Stephens was arrested and is expected to appear in U.S. District Court Friday.