Meriden Man Takes Video of Boys During Sexual Slumber Parties: Feds

A Connecticut man is facing federal charges after allegedly setting up cameras around his house to record explicit video of teenage boys who he invited over for slumber parties that turned sexual.

Mark W. Irvin, 63, of Meriden, has been charged with production and possession of child pornography. Federal prosecutors said cameras placed throughout Irvin's house on Glen Hills Road – including in the bathroom – were constantly recording.

According to residents, Irvin handed out fliers inviting neighborhood teens to spend weekends at his house and play games that involved covering them with shaving cream and chocolate pudding.

Irvin provided the teens with alcohol, showed them pornographic movies, gave them sex dolls and touched them inappropriately, according to the warrant for his arrest. He also allegedly encouraged the boys to touch each other in sexual ways.

The neighbor who alerted police said one night she saw Irvin huddled in a backyard tent with a group of young people who were laughing and joking.

"You could see images on the tent of silhouettes of boys' naked bodies. You could see Mark. At one point, I saw Mark standing up. He was naked," explained Anna Roberts. "It was kind of gross. You could see everything, and you could see the movie he was showing. It was porn and it was really explicit."

Roberts said Irvin brushed off the issue when she confronted him about it.

"He stood there and he was totally naked and I asked him, I said, 'Mark, what are you doing outside standing there naked?' And he looked at me and said, 'What? They're all of age,'" she recalled.

Police arrived and searched Irvin's home, seizing camcorders, computers, VHS tapes, CDs, DVDs, thumb drives and storage devices. At least one contained naked photos of a 13-year-old boy, according to the U.S. attorney's office.

Federal prosecutors said another teen told police Irvin "had had repeated sexual contact with him since he was 15 years old," and had watched Irvin engage in sexual activity with other boys.

Irvin was arrested Sept. 18 and appeared in federal court Monday. He's due back for a detention hearing on Sept. 24.

He could face up to 40 years in prison if convicted. The investigation continues and additional charges are possible.

"I hope they throw the book at him. I really do. He's a piece of garbage," Roberts said.

It's not clear if Irvin has an attorney.

Meriden police are asking anyone with information to call the department at 203-238-1911.

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