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FBI Porn Raid Leaves Innocent Family Reeling

FBI Takes Two Years To Exonerate Them

POSTED: 5:28 pm EDT May 26, 2011
UPDATED: 6:23 am EDT May 27, 2011

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Imagine waking up in the morning to the FBI at your door, and accusations involving possession and dissemination of child pornography. That's what happened to a Milford family, who spent two years wondering what might come next.

Denise Tracy remembers the night of the FBI raid like it was yesterday.

"It was a nightmare, an absolute nightmare," said Tracy.

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Almost two years ago at dawn, a swarm of FBI agents stormed the stairs raiding the Tracy family's Hancock Street home in Milford.

"There were FBI and police at the door. They came up into our bedroom flashing lights in our faces," said Tracy. "I ran to my daughter's room. She was sitting on the side of the bed crying. She was terrified," she said.

Investigating a child porn case, the family was interrogated for 3 hours. With search warrant in hand, agents took seven computers and a router from the home.

"They kept asking us about the screen name 'babytodd' which we knew nothing about. The whole manner of interrogation was degrading, demeaning and cruel," said Tracy.

For two years the Tracys didn't hear a word from the FBI. They sent letters to government officials demanding resolution.

"The worry and stress and sleepless nights have aged us," said Tracy.

After NewsCenter 5 made inquiries to the FBI, the Tracys were finally called and offered an apology and promised to return their computers.

In a statement the FBI told NewsCenter 5: "We understand it must be very upsetting for innocent people to have their home searched by the FBI. They were victimized by a wireless trespasser."

But the Tracys believe the FBI victimized them, According to police, that wireless trespasser had been living just across the street. Robert Diduca was arrested last November.

"He was charged with child porn and dissemination of porn," said Milford Chief of Police Thomas O'Loughlin. "Diduca had used this other family's IP address. Their wireless wasn't locked," he said.

The FBI would not confirm or deny Diduca's connection in the case.

The Tracy's wireless signal is now secure. They learned their lesson. But they're still traumatized and outraged by the incident.

"I don't understand the lack of responsibility," said Tracy. "To have an accusation hanging over our heads for two years is a nightmare. It's like we lost two years of our lives."

The FBI tells NewsCenter 5 the incident should remind people to secure their wireless networks. But they say what happened with the family was unusual and unfortunate.

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