Published: April 30, 2008 04:40 pm            

Avon man wants to help exploited child

AVON, Ind. — What was meant to be a simple gift for his daughter has turned into somewhat of a nightmare for an Avon man.

Tom Graef, the former pastor of White Pines Baptist Church, said he purchased a Canon 20D digital camera on eBay in March. It was meant to be a gift for his daughter as a reward for her earning straight As in school.

The camera was shipped from Orchard Park, N.Y., and it came with a compact flash card.

Graef said he always checks the flashcards when purchasing cameras online. With the computer software he has, he said he is able to restore deleted photos from a card.

“It’s a matter of protection,” he said. “It’s just a habit.”

In checking this particular card, Graef said, he came across some disturbing images.

The first few photos, taken in early March, were apparently taken to test the lighting against a brick wall in what appears to be a basement. But the next group of photos were of a little girl, probably 4 to 5 years old, in various stages of dress.

“This is the staging for the wrong kind of something,” Graef said. “It just looked like she was being coached.”

Concerned that he had stumbled across something criminal, he contacted his friend and neighbor, Danville Police Det. Bill Wright.

As the two looked over the photos, they concluded that the photos were suspect.

“Bill confirmed it’s not the smoking gun, but there’s more to the story,” Graef said.

Graef said Wright advised him to contact the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The two of them also searched the center’s website to see if they could match the girl in the photos to the website photos of missing children.

Graef said they are not sure, but a child on the site who was reported missing last year from New York bears an uncanny resemblance to the girl on his camera card.

Graef said he spoke with someone from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, who took his information and said someone else would be contacting him.

Five days later, he said, someone from the center called and took some additional information. Graef said the center representative told him they would pass the information on to the police. That was two weeks ago, and Graef said he has heard no more.

He said he doesn’t know what else to do, but wants some action to be taken to help the little girl in the photos. Regardless of whether it is the missing girl on the center’s website, Graef said the girl needs someone to intervene on her behalf.

“I want somebody to help the little girl,” he said. “She cannot protect herself. Somebody has to take a look at it.”



Amanda Roach writes for the Hendricks County Flyer in Avon, Ind.

        

• Click to discuss this story with other readers on our forums.