DURHAM - Taped to the front door of Albert Godwin III's apartment, the one where investigators allege he trafficked child pornography images on the Internet, reads a peculiar sign: "Smoke free, alcohol free, drug free apartment."

But a cross-country investigation led New Mexico authorities to think other things were happening in Godwin's apartment on Glasson Street. Godwin, 37, is charged with 100 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor and has been in the Durham County jail since Oct. 1 in lieu of $2.5 million bail.

Investigators reported finding thousands of child porn computer files at Godwin's home. Those files, along with computers and other equipment, were seized from the residence.

On Aug. 29, Special Agent Lois M. Kinch with the New Mexico Attorney General's Office was interviewing a man who possessed child porn when he told her that up to 90 percent of his collection was from Godwin, according to a search warrant. The man, who is cooperating with authorities, told the agent he communicates with Godwin through e-mail and instant messaging and received child porn images as recently as Aug. 8.

"Godwin goes to Wal-Mart to 'check out the kids' and look for moms with kids with the intent of having sex with the mother and the children, and Godwin told the [cooperating witness] that he recently ran into a girl from high school who has children," the man told authorities, according to the warrant.

Godwin's profession was listed as a disc jockey, and court records show that he is disabled and receives Social Security benefits.

The agent, using the cooperating suspect's instant message screen name, talked to Godwin online Sept. 20. Godwin sent the agent an incest story along with 300 images of his "Old Young Arsenal," according to the warrant.

"Most, if not all, of the image files depict minors engaged in sexual intercourse," said Kinch, according to the warrant.

Two days later, two Durham police investigators trained by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force became involved with the case. The task force, a national program normally run through a state agency, enables law enforcement in each state to efficiently communicate with each other about child pornography cases.

Godwin has been charged previously with trespassing and weapons possession, but those charges were dismissed. His only conviction in Durham County comes from a 1990 hit and run incident.

His current troubles come as a surprise to Charles Hall, who has lived across from Godwin for three years.

Everyday, the two men would engage in small talk when they saw each other, Hall said. Godwin was well mannered and would always have a smile on his face, he said.

Hall said that he never saw any children around Godwin's apartment. "I was really shocked," he said of Godwin's charges.

Godwin was known to use the two e-mail addresses albert4032@yahoo.com and godwiniiia@yahoo.com. People with information about the case should contact Kinch at 505-222-9000.

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