Woman charged over Web sex, torture stories

updated 7:09 p.m. ET Sept. 27, 2006

PITTSBURGH - A woman who authorities say ran a Web site that published graphic fictional tales about the torture and sexual abuse of children has been indicted on federal obscenity charges.

“Use of the Internet to distribute obscene stories like these not only violates federal law, but also emboldens sex offenders who would target children,” U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan said Wednesday in announcing the charges against Karen Fletcher, 54.

Excerpts of her stories were available to all visitors to her Web site, while others paid to read whole stories, prosecutors said.

Fletcher was indicted by a federal grand jury Tuesday on six counts involving six stories about the kidnapping, torture, sexual molestation and murder of children 9 and under. The charges carry five years in prison each.

Fletcher, in a telephone interview with The Associated Press, said Wednesday that federal authorities “didn’t like my site.” She had no other comment on the charges.

In court papers, the FBI said Fletcher told agents she wrote most of the stories and posted contributions from other people.

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