Samantha Hernandez

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin

Two Sturgeon Bay men arrested Friday for possession of child pornography appeared for a bond hearing in Door County Circuit Court II Monday afternoon.

Steven P. Link, 37, the owner of Untitled Used and Rare Books, and Kory Murphy, 26, a freelance designer and musician, appeared in court via video conferencing. Both were arrested as part of a two-month Internet Crimes Against Children investigation involving the Brown County Sheriff's Department, the Sturgeon Bay Police Department and agents from the state Division of Criminal Investigation.

"Before September of this year, an Internet Crimes Task Force in another county came across someone downloading child pornography from the Internet in Sturgeon Bay," District Attorney Raymond Pelrine told Judge Peter Diltz.

The IP address was eventually traced to Untitled, 20 N. Third Ave., and an apartment rented by Link at 523 Michigan St., he said.

"When they arrived at the location ... Mr. Link was on the premises. In both the business and the residential area, they found a number of computer hard drives, and computers at the initial preview disclosed at least five separate videos or still photographs of what were clearly child pornography," Pelrine said.

The images showed "pre-adolescent children engaging in sex acts," he said.

According to Pelrine, Link also told officers about hidden cameras he had set up in the public restroom of his business.

"In fact, they found a hidden camera inside a smoke detector in the ceiling of the public restroom," he said.

Three separate videos of "girls, children" going into that bathroom were found at Link's home, Pelrine said.

Link also told officers he recorded sexual activity in the basement of the building. Officers found cameras mounted on the wall aimed at a bed in the basement.

"Mr. Link admitted to officers at least one incident of recording by video, another couple engaging in sex acts on that bed that they were not aware he was doing that," he said.

Pelrine told Diltz he is planning to charge Link with at least five separate misdemeanor counts of invasion of privacy, two of the counts for the installation of the cameras and at least three separate counts for recording people, and five separate counts for child pornography

"I emphasize 'At the very least' because we have just begun examining all the voluminous hard drives, and he had massive hard drives ... and multiple computer storage," Pelrine said.

Pelrine told Judge Peter Diltz he is unsure how long he will be on the case.

"We are also in the conversation with the United States (Attorney's office), and they might be taking over the prosecution because there is at the very least indication of interstate involvement with the creation of child pornography," he said.

The judge set a $10,000 cash bond, with conditions including a no-contact order between Murphy and Link, and Link cannot use any devices that can access the Internet.

Pelrine said Murphy and Link did not say much to the officers who came to the building.

"They didn't say much to the police, but each of them immediately tried to point the finger at each other claiming, 'Any bad stuff you find is really that person's fault,'" Pelrine said.

From time to time Link, dressed in an orange jail jumpsuit, put his head in his hands. Link did not have an attorney at his hearing. Murphy was represented in the courtroom by attorney Greg Gerbers.

"Based upon the hookup, the Internet connection .. the items linked to Mr. Murphy or Mr. Link as well, may have downloaded the pornography at the same residence," Pelrine said.

Pelrine said Murphy was renting an apartment at 18 N. Third Ave.

"A number of items were found in Mr. Murphy's apartment, including at least three different laptops and/or computers one very large storage three terabyte drive, (phones with memory storage on them) ... during a preview of just some of portion of the items found in Mr. Murphy's home, officers located at least two separate videos and/or still images of what is clearly child pornography as well as cartoon or anime of child pornography. Pre-adolescent children engaging in sexual activity," he said.

Pelrine said Murphy claimed to officers that the images must have come from Link. Investigators were able to determine which devices downloaded what material.

"We've only done a preview," Pelrine said of the material. At the very least Murphy will face two felony charges of child pornography.

Murphy is not to have any contact with Link, devices with internet accessibility. He was given a $3,500 signature bond.

Afterward Pelrine stressed that both men are innocent until proven guilty.

Link and Murphy are scheduled to appear in court at 10 a.m. Sept. 15.

Contact Samantha Hernandez at svhernande@doorcountyadvocate.com or (920) 743-3321, Ext. 112.