A Florida man indicted for producing and recieving child pornography says that the naked photographs of his daughters were merely "family portraits," taken while the family was living at a nudist colony.

Federal agents began investigating 53-year-old Brian Marten after they found "inappropriate" photographs of his three young daughters on a computer belonging to Marten's neighbor, Leslie Grey Vanaman.

Both Marten and Vanaman — who was also arrested in 2004 for possession of child pornography — lived in the "private, gated" Sunsport Gardens Family Naturist Resort in Palm Beach, Florida.

Federal authorities say Vanaman, a photographer, was arrested and pleaded guilty to charges of recieving and possessing child porn last year. Evidence cited in the arrest warrant included photos of Marten's daughters.

Vanaman is currently serving 60 years in federal prison.

Marten's lawyer admits that some of the images of Marten's children found on Vanaman's computer were pornographic, but said Marten was unaware they had been taken. According AUSA Brandy Galler, Marten "cried when he viewed the images."

However, police say Martens signed releases and received more than 50 photographs containing child pornography from Vanaman. They also found emails between Martens, Vanaman and a third man discussing Vanaman's "craft" and "the sensuality and sexuality" of his photographs. Martens also referred to "using his daughters as a passport" in the nudist community.

"At the end of the day, it's all a fact question for the jury [to decide]," Galler told the Sun-Sentinel.

[image via Shutterstock]