Van Nuys, Century City Men Face Charges in Computer Porn Case

The Los Angeles city attorney filed criminal charges Wednesday against a Van Nuys man and a Century City man accused of distributing obscene matter on computer bulletin board services, the first such charges in Los Angeles.

Daniel Bauer, 54, of Van Nuys was named in 27 misdemeanor criminal counts of distributing obscene matter and Stewart Charles Heatter, 30, of Century City was charged with 17 counts.

The cases are the first Los Angeles prosecutions for distributing allegedly obscene material through computer bulletin boards, City Atty. James K. Hahn said.

Both men were scheduled for arraignment in Municipal Court--Heatter on March 13 and Bauer on March 27.

If convicted, each violation is punishable by up to a year in jail or a $1,000 fine, or both, Hahn said in a statement.

The prosecutions flowed from a police vice investigation of computer bulletin boards, which were published in a weekly advertiser. Vice detectives who subscribed to the bulletin boards downloaded computer images that courts have held to be obscene under California law, Hahn said.

Attempts to reach Bauer and Heatter for comment were unsuccessful.