Man, 65, Arrested on Charges of Distributing Child Porn

A 65-year-old man was arrested at his home Tuesday on suspicion of operating a mail-order pornography business that involved children who appeared to be as young as 3 years old.

Adin Garner was booked at the North Hollywood station on suspicion of commercial distribution of child pornography from a Hollywood post office box after being arrested at his home in the 2600 block of West Olive Avenue in Burbank, Los Angeles Police Detective Bob Navarro said. Garner was being held on $25,000 bail.

Authorities said the arrest of Garner, who used the alias Mel Lennon, was the first of its kind in 10 years.

“It’s rare to have people selling child pornography,” Navarro said. “It is common for pedophiles to share such materials between themselves.”

Los Angeles police handled Garner’s arrest because he was living in the Sunland-Tujunga area when the investigation began in April, 1992, Navarro said.

Police believe that Garner was distributing videotapes nationwide and made some of the videotapes by quickly flipping pages of old kiddie porn magazines in front of a camera.

Most of the videotapes sold for $75 to $200, earning Garner at least $1,000 a week, said Lt. Ken Seibert, who heads the pornography and prostitution sections of the vice division.

Authorities had a watch on Garner, but eventually caught him by placing orders for child pornography videotapes using an alias and a post office box, Seibert said.

Navarro said Garner has been involved in the pornography distribution business since the 1960s and has previous convictions for those activities. added.