Chapman Student Arrested in Child Pornography Sting

A 21-year-old Chapman University student has been arrested in an Internet pornography sting after allegedly buying videotapes showing boys engaged in sex acts, police said Friday.

Neilson Hamill allegedly accepted two tapes delivered to his campus dormitory by U.S. Postal inspectors Nov. 3, said Orange Police Lt. John Higley. Vice detectives from Orange police discovered another child pornography video after searching Hamill’s residence, Higley said.

The sting was set up by investigators from Dallas, who posed as pornography distributors and posted an Internet bulletin board message offering to sell sex videos, Higley said. According to police, Hamill first contacted the detectives in May, and allegedly paid $250 for tapes of boys aged 11 to 14.

Postal inspectors delivered tapes containing short segments of child pornography to ensure that Hamill was in violation of the law, Higley said.

Hamill, of La Canada, was booked on suspicion of possessing child pornography and then released. Citing privacy concerns, Chapman officials said they were unable to release information about what Hamill was studying.