DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — The manager of a notorious Daytona Beach hotel was in federal court Tuesday facing new child pornography charges. WFTV found out, with those new charges, Dennis Devlin will not be allowed to bond out of jail, at least not yet.
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The manager of the Desert Inn was arrested last week for allegedly producing child porn at the hotel. The state dropped child porn charges against Devlin on Monday, but it was to pave the way for what happened Tuesday in federal court.
If Devlin is convicted, it could put him away for up to 40 years.
The striped shirt and dark pants Devlin was wearing during his arrest six days ago were the same things he wore in front of a federal judge in Orlando on Tuesday. The U.S. attorney charged Devlin with producing child porn and possessing it.
With the FBI still afraid Devlin might run if he got out on bail, a judge ordered him to stay behind bars until another hearing next week.
"The factors will come out in the criminal case and the family wants to leave it up to the U.S. Attorney's Office, in their capable hands, to see that justice is done," attorney for the victims, Edward Donini, said in court Tuesday.
An attorney for the family of the 13-year-old victim wouldn't comment on the prospect of Devlin getting out of jail.
New details of what may have happened to the young boy though, and what was inside Devlin's private hotel suite, emerged from federal charging documents. The reports said Michael Ehmen, a 20-year-old also charged Tuesday with producing child porn, told investigators he had been meeting Devlin for three months and knew he would get money if he brought others with him.
The document also revealed investigators found a stack of photos by a sofa that included shots of teen boys with a website address on them, the age "16" written on one, and dates stamped back to October.
The U.S. attorney wouldn't comment on whether the evidence would lead to more charges against Devlin beyond what was handled Tuesday.
Devlin will be behind bars at least another five days. He has a new attorney who will be picking up the case.
Meanwhile, a local travel company told WFTV there's still interest in booking rooms at the Desert Inn, especially for spring break. The hotel was back open for business just one day after the FBI raid.
The hotel is now being run by a hotel manager and Devlin's mother, who owns the inn. The bookings come even after the Desert Inn gained notoriety last month when it was ranked the third dirtiest hotel in the nation by a travel website.
Previous Stories: February 3, 2011: Hotel Manager In Child Porn Case To Stay In Jail February 3, 2011: Charges Filed Against Hotel Manager In Child Porn Case January 31, 2011: Hotel Owner May Sue TripAdvisor.com
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