Johns Creek Man Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Involving Neighbors

A 53-year-old Johns Creek man pleaded guilty in federal court on Thursday, Oct. 6, to 21 counts of possessing child pornography

Dirk LaPaglia admitted that he manufactured hundreds of sexually explicit images of nearly two dozen minor children by superimposing photos of their faces onto pornographic images.

The case began when Johns Creek authorities investigated a series of stalking incidents in which neighborhood residents, including at least one minor, were sent anonymous packages containing lingerie and letters describing sexual encounters involving various adult and child members of the neighborhood, according to U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates.

On April 13, LaPaglia was interviewed by local authorities and, after initially denying it, admitted that he had delivered several such parcels to girls and women in his neighborhood, according to a news release from Yates' office.

Two days later, Johns Creek police searched his home and found additional sexually explicit letters along with a cache of photos that LaPaglia had created by combining photos of neighborhood women and girls with pornographic images. After seizing his computer, they found more than 600 images containing the faces/upper torsos of neighborhood girls and the naked bodies of others engaged in various sex acts. Authorities have identified at least two dozen victims of this conduct – actual minor females who lived in LaPaglia’s neighborhood or adjacent communities.

The examination of the computer also revealed that LaPaglia had snuck into several neighbors’ homes, found the girl’s bedroom, placed the girl’s undergarments on the girl’s bed, and then filmed himself engaging in auto-erotic behavior. 

Evidence showed that the defendant had established a Facebook account in which he masqueraded as a high school girl in an effort to obtain more photos of his victims.

Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2012, before U.S District Judge Orinda D. Evans.

This case is being investigated by Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Johns Creek Police Department.