Wednesday, July 08, 2015

Grand jury indicts Neosho businessman on child porn charge

A federal grand jury indicted Neosho businessman Blake Altman on a child pornography charge June 16.

Altman, 31, former general manager at Sam's Cellar, is free on a personal recognizance bond, offer opposition from the U. S. Attorney's office, which noted that not only was Altman downloading child pornography, but he told investigators that "his preference was for girls between 10 and 14 years old."

Altman is being represented by Springfield attorney Dee Wampler.

The government made the following argument for keeping Altman behind bars while he awaits trial:

The defendant was utilizing peer-to-peer file sharing software to receive and distribute images and videos depicting child pornography. The imagery in question depicted children, some as young as infants, engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The defendant, at the time of the search warrant, possessed a rifle loaded with armor piercing bullets, two sets of body armor, and a Kevlar helmet.

The defendant was accused by a family member of inappropriately touching her when he was 16 years old. The accusation was never reported to the police. The defendant told the investigators that his preference was for girls between 10 and 14 years old. This case involves a minor victim..The evidence against the defendant is overwhelming


The indictment came more than eight months after a search warrant was executed on Altman's arrest, which was noted in the October 3, 2014 Turner Report:

Though no arrests have been filed anywhere at this point, a search warrant request filed in the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri indicates child pornography had been traced to an IP address belonging to a Neosho businessman.

The affidavit, written by Joplin police officer Charles Root, working with the FBI as a member of the Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force, detailed the reasons the search warrant was being requested:

On August 14, 2014, Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force Officer James Smith conducted an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography. Utilizing an undercover computer, TFO Smith was able to make a direct connection with the target computer and browse the files available for sharing.

The target computer contained approximately 116 files believed to contain depictions of child pornography.

Smith was able to download 33 of the files, according to the affidavit:

Each of 33 files downloaded depicted minors, some as young as infants, engaged in sexual contact or posed in a sexually explicit manner. The imagery depicted minors engaging in such sexual acts as sexual intercourse and digital penetration of the minors' anus and vagina.


(The post has been amended to note that Altman is the former general manager at Sam's Cellar.)
***
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51 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had the misfortune of working for this man. Sexual harassment, misuse of business funds, and constant disrespect to the employees and customers, alike. His mommy owns the business so there were never any real consequences. I don't think mommy and mommy's money will be able to get him out of this one. I really hope justice is served for his involvement in this discusting crime.

Anonymous said...

And to think he's out walking freely on our streets. Sick.

Anonymous said...

Gosh guys needs shot.

Anonymous said...

I worked for him as well.. cant believe he is like that and hope he gets what he deserves

Unknown said...

Wow!, he needs jail time. Sick.

FED UP said...

This guy has not a clue that he has ruined the kids for life, I really think we should have a little vigilante Justus and I bet you the sick people would think twice before they do something as sick as what the loser has done! Just saying....

Anonymous said...

What Turner alwasys leaves out is that an indictment doesn't mean quilty and the accused doesn't even get a chance to defend embellished falsehoods prior to grand jury indictments. According to the American Bar Association, the grand jury has come under increasing criticism for being a mere "rubber stamp" for the prosecution without adequate procedural safeguards. Critics argue that the grand jury has largely lost its historic role as an independent bulwark protecting citizens from unfounded accusations by the government. Grand juries provide little protection to accused suspects and are much more useful to prosecutors.

Anonymous said...

Regardless there was obviously enough evidence, or this case would not have happened. Sick. Sick. Sick.

Anonymous said...

His behavior is no different than Mr./Mrs. Jenner. It's no different than two men or two women having relationships together. His mind just works this way. We are already sliding down a dangerous slope in this country so me might as well go for it all. Free the pedophiles. They are just born that way and can't help it.....

Anonymous said...

Wow just never know about ur neighbors these days..

Diana Brockman said...

This is just an indictment. The grand jury doesn't decide guilt and they only hear the prosecutor's side. There's always another side to the story. Let's not tar and feather him until he has had the opportunity to defend himself. I'm not defending him, I don't even know him. I have sat on the federal grand jury, though, and know what they hear in these cases. It's disturbing, but innocent until proven guilty is something we should still strive for.

Anonymous said...

For those saying he's innocent until proven guilty: would you want to know about this indictment before leaving him with your children? I sure would. It seems possible that someone else could have accessed his computer and downloaded those files, and maybe someone else said "they prefer 10-14 year olds" ...but it's also possible that space invaders took over his mind and made him do it.

Anonymous said...

Bullroar, this investigation has been ongoing for over eight mounts now and they have enough on this guy that, I guarantee you, he will spend the next twenty years of his life in Marion, Illinois Federal Prison.

Anonymous said...

Interesting how no one had heard of this until today. I don't care one bit that this is "only an indictment"......indictments happen because there is evidence. The man ADMITTED that he LIKES girls between the ages of 10-14. Hello. Rational reasonable people will believe this. Anyone who would defend him at this point is...A) The defense attorney ((someone who is paid to defend him)) or 2) Has mental issues themselves. I invite anyone who thinks we should wait to hear all the evidence to let this guy babysit YOUR KIDS! Sexual abuse and perverted behaviors are swept under the rug enough in our community. The way to keep people safe is let everyone know so we can keep our kids away from them! I won't be going to that establishment EVER again so long as his family owns it. (Think about it- one cent of YOUR money going to defend him?) Nope. No thanks. The family KNEW about him, and still put him in a position where he could have interactions with the public. This needs as much attention as possible.

Anonymous said...

7:35, I understand there are many people who feel the same way you do, and I do not expect to change your mind. However, I find your comment both sad and ignorant.

There are many differences between this man (and I personally know him and his family). Such a tragic situation, especially for the victims.

The differences between a pedophile and a transgendered person and/or a gay or lesbian person are many. Do I even need to explain? Two people in a consentual, adult, same sex relationship are causing harm to no one.

You have a right to your opinion, but should you one day find out you have a gay, lesbian or transgendered child, I would imagine you might see things differently.



Anonymous said...

I decided not to address the nasty person who compared this crime to a consensual adult relationship. It was too offensive. I decided it was either a child, or a like minded pedophile.

Anonymous said...

I read 7:35 as sarcasm. I'm not sure anyone could actually think that way. Who knows though, we do live in a crazy society.

Anonymous said...

9:39 AM, the poster is onto something.
Where does it stop? Transgendered Child? Seriously?!
That is idiotic. It's called a "Y" Chromosome. One either possesses it or does not.
>>"The Y chromosome is one of two sex chromosomes (allosomes) in mammals, including humans, and many other animals. The other is the X chromosome. Y is the sex-determining chromosome in many species, since it is the presence or absence of Y that determines male or female sex."<<

Wake Up America!!

Anonymous said...

REALLY just go give the guy a hug.. Did you miss this part?
On August 14, 2014, Southwest Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force Officer James Smith conducted an undercover investigation into the distribution of child pornography. Utilizing an undercover computer, TFO Smith was able to make a direct connection with the target computer and browse the files available for sharing.

The target computer contained approximately 116 files believed to contain depictions of child pornography.

Smith was able to download 33 of the files, according to the affidavit:

Each of 33 files downloaded depicted minors, some as young as infants, engaged in sexual contact or posed in a sexually explicit manner. The imagery depicted minors engaging in such sexual acts as sexual intercourse and digital penetration of the minors' anus and vagina.

Anonymous said...

I personally know this person and am disgusted. He has been around my family and friends. He has always had the backing of his mother and so now maybe those that have been sexually harassed, abused and mistreated from this establishment should file a civil suit against them and bond together to make them understand this is serious. This is not a consensual relationship between 2 people, this is children that were being abused sexually, mentally, digitally and it is sickening. I do not want this man out on our streets where our kids walk, play and grow. Who knows what he would try and do to them. People like this are sick he isn't the first nor will he be the last but they all will face their maker some day and he will be the final judge for them.

Anonymous said...

I'm sickened by this. Lock him up for good!!!

Anonymous said...

As usual Neosho and 2nd rate writers such as Randy convict people based on rumor and opinion funny that there are no charges or arrests in the case. Everyone in America is allowed a day in court to defend themselves and for others to submit "evidence" not opinion to convict. I would be the first person to hate a pedophile but he has not been charged nor convicted as one! So good ole' Neosho tongue waggers and accusers get a life, Randy doesn't publish anything based on truth or he would have a real job as a journalist and not get fired from Joplin School system for his own sexual mis-conduct.

Janet said...

To the person who is comparing this man to someone who likes other adults of the same sex, or someone who is choosing a different gender: Do you have children? Imagine for me, would you... That this man is using porn.... FOR NOW... What happens when the porn isn't doing it anymore? What if the little girl he decided to pick up to take care of his "needs" was your daughter, your 10 to 14 year old daughter? "Because he just can't help it"

This is why I carry a gun folks.
That is all.

Anonymous said...

I personally knew him and he was always a great guy to me and I have known him for about 2 years and have never heard him say or do anything to lead me to believe he was capable of doing something like this. He was always a wonderful friend to me and my family & friends. And I don't feel like anyone has the right to judge him But God. If you believe he did this then by all means stay away from him but if they let him out they have their reasons and that doesn't give you the right to go around condemning him if you weren't there when this was supposedly happening, you don't know what happened anymore than anyone else.

Randy said...

To Anonymous 4:26, you apparently are unaware that when a grand jury indicts you, you have been charged with a crime. Altman was arrested June 22. You also conveniently ignore the fact that when I ran the post in October about the search of his home, I used neither his name nor his address. I published those after he had been arrested. Everything I printed came directly from court records. You are the one who has offered nothing but one wrong opinion after another. As for any charges against me, I was never charged with anything that comes anywhere near this, as anyone with intelligence already knows.

Kim said...

Did you miss the part where he said he preferred ages 10 to 14. Sounds like he admitted to it. Anyone who is innocent wouldn't make a statement like that

Anonymous said...

Thank you Randy for updating this information. I posted in the previous article of his arrest hoping you would. I was close friends with him at one point, and think its important for people to know the truth and be informed. You only post facts and are a trustworthy source. Your information has come straight from court! I also appreciate you keeping his name out until indictment. I tried to give him the benefit of the doubt but the evidence is too much!
I'm happy people are now aware of him and what is going on. It's important to me as a parent when these things are close to home, especially when that person was apart of my life.
Thank you 100 times! I hope justice is served and he gets the help he needs.

Anonymous said...

To the person that says this is why they carry a gun...EXACTLY RIGHT! It is the best defense for sexual predators...as a woman and a mother, I wholeheartedly agree.I also believe that as a community, we HAVE to know who these people are. There is a website for convicted offenders that have registered, but that doesn't help anyone before they are caught. These guys usually have a massive number of victims, many never report. We are lucky that there is a task force that identifies these guys online. Don't fall into this "we can't judge" BALONY......WE can...the courts have a standard of proof, but we can believe whatever we want. I say everyone should know this guy is a sicko. Tell your friends. It is a community service at this point. Thank you, Randy. This was under everyone's radar for some reason.

Anonymous said...

Define sick... Is the political situation in this country not sick... Is our acceptance of anything that isn't basically this not sick???? I wouldn't be surprised in 5 years or so it being completely legal for this kind of behavior to take place. Buckle up guys its coming. Because people that enjoy this depraved lifestyle will one day say we are bigots for not accepting their preference. Where does it stop?? This political correctness is taking us down a bad bad road. I am against a lynch mob going after this guy. Those comments are just as wrong as what he did. However he will more than likely be facing some scary days ahead if he goes to federal prison. They don't take kindly to that kinda thing. I guess I know now why I saw the SWAT team bailing out of the van the other day.... He needs medical attention for this behavior, You cant be okay in the head and find a child sexually attractive.

Anonymous said...

You must have an extra chromosome.

Anonymous said...

If there has been a grand jury indictment then he HAS been charged with the crime.

Anonymous said...

I have known him for many years. There are some flat out lies in this article. I would like to know what family member he supposedly sexually abused at the age of 16. Considering he only has a couple cousins that live close. This is all a bunch of lies from the prosecution. He never admitted to having a preference for little girls, this is a sick article that contains a lot of embellishments. Yes he was indicted but it was because he had a peer-to-peer program on his computer that contained child porn.... it was a peer to peer program that many of us have and files can be downloaded and shared by anyone connected to your computer. He did not make the child porn nor did he didn't touch kids. I hope you self righteous idiots that are forming your lynch mobs wake up and realize that there is a justice system for a reason and there are people that are wrongfully accused. Neosho is so full of two-faced backstabbing hypocrites.

Anonymous said...

I have been looking for information on this case from another source, and I have been unable to identify any. I am very interested in why that is. Randy, please give us a way to collaborate your claims. The person (8:36 PM) who says they "have known him a long time", and would like to defend him.....what they say they knew of him means nothing. Pedophiles and perverts do not run around town telling people they have deviant sexual desires. Actually they spend a large amount of energy in making sure no one finds out. (You have NO IDEA what he has been up to, just like you do not know what did or did not happen every minute of every family get together.) If your file sharing programs contain child porn, that is a problem. If you don't see that as a cause for concern, then check yourself in someplace.

Randy said...

The information about Blake Altman's arrest can be found on the website for the U. S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri. However, you have to pay for access to the court documents. To verify his arrest, just type Blake Altman's name on Google Images and you will come up with the same mug shot that has accompanied both of the posts I have made about him this week. As far as other media not confirming this story, there is a simple explanation- they haven't received a news release from the U. S. Attorney's office. Usually, one is released when a federal grand jury indicts someone, but for some reason this case slipped through the cracks. The information I had about his indictment and the search of his home both came directly from court documents.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous 8:36 maybe you do not know him as well as you think. This swell guy texted a photo of his penis to a friend of mine after a girls night at SAMs. She was shocked as well as her husband. Mr. Turner is reporting the facts given about this case and to say that the prosecutors are lying is ridiculous.

pfcoscalled said...

I'm going to reserve judgement until after he's tried by a jury of peerw. There are many cases of people being judged and convicted by so called grand jury indictments, then we find out they are innocent. I am a parent of an abused child, but I know that sometimes things are simply not what they appear to be.

Anonymous said...

I'm no friend of Blake's, but I do know him. I've been to Sam's Cellar like most who are from around here. Folks, this is just proof that you don't know who the predators are! They may be attractive and young. They aren't always the dingy, dirty, bearded old man with thick glasses- you know, what we all picture when we hear "child molester". I found this very hard to believe when I first heard about it a couple months ago but the thing is, is it worth the risk? He lives very close to a school and if my child attended that school, I feel I would have every right to know about this situation. When people are sick and have a problem like this, it tends to escalate. It may just of been child porn (which is more than sick!) this time, but what about next time? As the person above put it, would you risk him babysitting YOUR kids? We as citizens of this town deserve to know what's going on. The ones defending him are probably his family and friends (who must or feel they must cause they either don't wanna believe it or in support of the family) or offenders themselves. There is no excuse for any of this. I'm sure someone like him and any other person who is into this kinda thing knows any way possible to try and cover their tracks... file sharing sounds like a pretty good one to hide behind cause he doesn't have to take any or all of the blame. He has issues and I hope he gets exactly what's coming to him but we all do in the end.

Anonymous said...

Agreed!!!!

Anonymous said...

Why is he not listed in Casenet. His mom is having money problems and his step dad is a repeat drunk driver with a felony...Why isn't he listed too? Why are they allowed to run a bar when they have no morals or respect for the law? Somebody should look into this.

Randy said...

The charges against Altman are in federal court so they will not be listed on case.net

Anonymous said...

Blows me away he lives by a school and is walking free on a federal indictment. Why has it almost been a year and the daily news,globe picked up this story. All in who you know that's the neosho way

Unknown said...

Hey anonymous 10:02 maybe your friend shouldn't have gave him her phone # while she was drunk at a BAR.... And maybe she's not as innocent as she would like for everyone to think... just sayn'...

Anonymous said...

This isn't difficult, its all in the eyes, as a victim of someone similar I can see it plain as day, and always saw it. Couldn't pin point what it was butbi saw evil. I knew him I've been there I've worked there. Texting a dick pic is one of many (creepo like actions) I've heard of or witnessed.

Anonymous said...

HE ADMITTED HE HIS "PREFERENCE WAS GIRLS BETWEEN THE AGES OF 10 AND 14" ! ! ! ! !

WHAT'S UP FOR DEBATE? ?
HE'S GUILTY! !
HE NEEDS TO BE LOCKED UP! !
LET BIG BUBBA ♡LOVE♡ ON HIM! !

AND EVERYONE SHOULD QUIT GOING TO SAM'S CELLAR!! YOU'RE ONLY HELPING HIM & HIS SICK HABITS!!



Anonymous said...

It's a cold world. He will rot in hell eventually.

Anonymous said...

I'm just wondering to the person saying pedophiles should go free: are you one too?! Or just a special kind of stupid to want to allow people to go free to sexually abuse children? You belong in jail with the sicko!

Unknown said...

My mother recently married a man with a record and did 10 yrs prison time for it. He plays innocent someone did it but he took three blame was to stupid to get out of it blah blah. Acts like a caring up standing guy who would do anything to help others out of the kindness of his heart. Until my own daughter told me he stuck tongue in her mouth and put his hand between her legs and said it of that... we learned the hard way about these kinds of people... he even recently was on the news for giving out poems in picture frames to people for the 5 yr anniversary of the tornado calls himself God's poet .. Information like this needs to be out there just because it might be true!! because I'd be pissed if I was one of those people given a poem and thought how sweet and come to find out he likes and touches little kids... my daughter was 8 at the time nothing was done about by police and my mom believes there is no way her loving caring man could do that... stop defending this guy and possibly allowing him to hurt a child just like this sicko hurt mine he never got a chance to do more then that but I bet he would have if he could have. They come in packages that hide who they are so they can get away with it...

Anonymous said...

They will love his A$$ in prison!

Unknown said...

way too close for comfort what a sick and twisted individual.. I'm extremely delighted to hear that he was charged and I can't imagine what will happen to him inside as a matter of fact I don't want to imagine they don't take too kindly to Baby rapers.. what a disgrace to the community and he's a local.2

Are you "anonymous" willing to pay with your lives if you are wrong? said...

Yes, yes, I see plenty of you "anonymous" moral lepers wanting to stand in line behind a lynch mob against the accused.

Let's understand something: There are over 800,000 convicted sex offenders in Amerika. Some of them are people who have been entrapped by the police running a Craigslist ad or pretending to be a 12 year old girl. Some of them are 19 year old boys who engaged in oral or non-vaginal sex because they didn't want to make their 16-year-old girlfriend pregnant. And those who know the crime statistics know that minority communities don't adhere to age-of-consent laws in their own homelands or here when they migrate in search of jobs and the lifestyles they can't get elsewhere in their native lands.

The easiest way to ruin someone's life is to make an accusation and even if proven innocent the whispers remain. No one ever really recovers from these lies -- which is why they are made in the first place when false. Randy Turner still whines about the whispering campaign against himself even though fired for cause and after due process. Turner doesn't realize that he is in the same pit as what he has dug for others.

Now I think that those who are unjustly accused and convicted have a moral duty and right to destroy the lives and families of their false accusers and corrupt judges.

I bet that if there was a requirement that those of you who are "anonymous" were revealed and held to legal and social account for what you said, then most of you would hide or fall silent. You rush to judgment because you know full well how you would act if you had the chance.

Now I have no idea as to whether the accused is innocent or guilty of the crime of which he was accused. The crime of which he is accused wasn't possible twenty years ago and there was no peer-to-peer networks or "always-on" high Internet bandwidth. As a result, anyone who has a cable-modem which is always on can be accused and be charged with mere pictures placed on an insecure computer with a terabyte of digital storage which that person is totally unaware of having, not having placed it there himself.

So you have local and state and federal police who have the ability to "prove" anything they please and accuse. The defendant has nothing on which to prove his innocence, neither money or competent legal help other than a public pretender with 500 other cases, and the mere unsubstantiated claim that he knows nothing about the digital files that were supposedly found on his hard drive.

There is no computer which is ailing that you wish to have fixed that you should allow the technician to work on with the hard drive or storage with it intact -- even if you think that you are innocent and have nothing to hide.

We live in an age in which anyone can be accused and in which certain people -- like Hillary -- are above the law. Since there is no real Rule of Law, then civil war is inevitable. But not to worry . . . like Turner you will more than likely deserve whatever you get.

Anonymous said...

Amerika??? Really, 12:28?