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Drexel student among 6 nabbed in child-porn sweep

A Drexel University student was among six people arrested in a recent child-pornography sweep in Philadelphia, officials say. The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said 24-year-old Hunter W. Gayden was accused of possessing dozens of sexually explicit images of children.

A Drexel University student was among six people arrested in a recent child-pornography sweep in Philadelphia, officials say.

The Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office said 24-year-old Hunter W. Gayden was accused of possessing dozens of sexually explicit images of children.

He has been charged with 50 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography, and one count of criminal use of a communication facility, prosecutors said.

Gayden was featured in a news release from Drexel's College of Engineering last fall for his role in a trip to Italy to study sustainable wastewater-treatment systems.

He is a member of the college's Formula SAE racing team, though he had been removed from the group's website by Friday morning. The team's president told The Triangle, the university's student newspaper, that the group was "shocked" by the charges and "every effort has been made to be sure that his involvement with these charges has not leaked into the FSAE team's functions."

Also arrested in the child-pornography operation were:

-Arthur Kruger, 46, charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, five counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility;

-Seth P. Martin, 33, charged with 50 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility;

-James McIntyre, 50, charged with one count of possession of child pornography and one count of obscene material;

-Jaram Ramos, 28, charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography, one count of distribution of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility;

-Howard Rubin, 41, charged with four counts of distribution of child pornography, 150 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of criminal use of a communication facility.

Officials didn't disclose additional details about the alleged child pornography or how the suspects were apprehended.

Prosecutors last week announced the arrests of 15 others across Bucks, Delaware Montgomery and Philadelphia counties related to the sweep. The six additional cases bring the total number of arrests in the operation to 21.

The sweep, conducted over the past two weeks, pursued online child-pornography sharing and online advertisements connected to sexually exploited children.