William Irey faces child porn charges
ORLANDO, Fla. - A Monon-gahela native who is a prominent contractor in Florida is facing federal child pornography charges.
William Irey, 49, of Orlando, president and CEO of Frank Irey Construction Inc., a major Walt Disney World building contractor, is accused of traveling overseas earlier this year to meet children and coerce them "to engage in sexually explicit conduct," according to an indictment approved Dec. 13 by a grand jury in Orlando.
At Irey's Dec. 14 arraignment, he pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual exploitation of children before U.S. Magistrate David Baker.
If convicted, he faces up to 30 years in a federal prison. He was ordered held without bond.
Irey is one of many suspects charged as part of a nationwide investigation known as "Operation Emissary" - a probe into a commercial Web site offering access to videos and images of hardcore child pornography, according to a press release from U.S. Attorney Paul I. Perez of the U.S. Middle District of Florida.
It was unclear which country Irey visited during the alleged acts, which the indictment says occurred from January to August.
The two-page indictment claims he abused minors abroad "for the purpose of producing visual depictions," which he then allegedly brought back to the U.S.
Frank Irey Construction Inc., has been involved in such projects as Epcot's Mission: Space and has done work at Hong Kong Disneyland through a Chinese company it helped found 10 years ago.
The company's headquarters is in Lake Buena Vista, Fla.
During Irey's Dec. 14 arraignment, Baker agreed with defense attorney John Woodard and Assistant U.S. Attorney Cynthia Hawkins that Irey be confined in the near future to a treatment facility.
Hawkins also requested that Irey be detained further because he may be suicidal and may be a danger to the community.
Prosecutors filed notice to seize Irey's home on Charles E. Limpus Road in south Orange County through forfeiture because of the allegations, according to court records.
The suspect's wife, Candy Irey, declined an opportunity to comment to The Orlando Sentinel.
A family Web site says the couple has four children.
William Irey is a member of a prominent Mon Valley family. His father, the late Frank Irey, a long-time Washington County Republican Party chairman and Mon Valley Progress Council president. His sister-in-law, Diana Irey, is a Washington County commissioner. They or other members of the family have not in any way been linked to the crimes allegedly committed by William Irey.
The Orlando Sentinel contributed to this report.
