A puppeteer is facing conspiracy and child pornography charges as part of a vast international child porn ring that has been unraveling over the past two years.

Ronald Brown, 57, of Largo, Florida, is accused of plotting to murder, cook and eat small children, especially a particular young boy at his church. According to Pastor Randy Morris of Gulf Cost Church, Brown served as a volunteer in the congregation’s puppet ministry. He also often transported children to and from Sunday services with the church van.

“We’re incredibly shocked and saddened by the news,” stated Morris. “It’s a very sobering thought that he’s been around our congregation for years. The charges against him are mind-boggling.”

Brown also appeared on a children’s television program called “Joy Junction,” which was aired both locally and globally on the Trinity Broadcasting Network (TBN).

Reports indicate that Brown was arrested two weeks ago after police connected him to online chats with Michael Arnett of Kansas, who had been accused of sexually molesting young children and engaging in talks about it on the Internet.

The criminal complaint lodged against Brown features samples of the chat that is believed to have taken place between the two. They went under screen names such as “uelime” and “sweettalkerlinda.”

“I think he might be small enough to take down easily. You should come down and help. You could enjoy him, too,” Brown allegedly wrote.

“Love to of course. But I think a first one should be enjoyed alone. Especially with all you’ve done watching him,” Arnett is stated to have responded.

“Any luck with your boy?” another conversation continued. “No, I still want to eat him though. He was looking good in his last pic that I got.”

The boy was apparently not the only target, however. In one online chat, Arnett is said to have admitted to drowning a young girl in the bathtub, stating that she made “a sweet little oven roast … full of some awesome tender toddler meat.” He claimed that she was “was better off being eaten anyhow rather than growing up any longer as another trailer park brat.”

“Summer is heating up. Should be good pickins’… It’s so hot the kids are almost naked out there,” Brown reportedly told Arnette.

Brown was taken into custody by federal agents working on behalf of the Department of Homeland Security after being traced in the discussions. Officials found numerous files of child pornography on his computer, as well as images of what appear to be dead children.

“In my time here at this agency, I’ve never seen anything this gruesome,” stated Russ Feinstein, a spokesman for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Brown allegedly told police that his writings were only “fantasy” and that he “would never hurt anyone.”

The international child pornography ring first began to unravel after Robert Diduca, manager of the Sheraton hotel in Milford, Massachusetts, unknowingly sent a photo of a frightened, abused toddler holding a bunny to an undercover agent. The photo was researched and traced back to Robert Mikelsons, 27, who watched the little boy at a day care center in the Netherlands. Mikelsons reportedly had thousands of images of child pornography in his possession, which led to 43 arrests in Canada, Mexico, the United Kingdom, Germany, Sweden and the United States.

Police are said to have made the arrests over the last two years, but have not completed the work as there are untold thousands of photographs that they are still poring through. In all, over 140 children are believed to have been involved in the child porn ring.

Brown’s arrest marks the latest in the undercover string, which goes by the code name Holitna. He is being held without bail after waiving a hearing.

Last year, a massive 70,000-member international pedophile ring was busted, which spanned 30 countries. The current investigative effort involving Brown is separate from that operation.

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