A suspect accused of sending pornographic images of his 4-year-old daughter over the Internet via a Web camera is free on bond and under arrest at his father's home in Summit Township.

Federal authorities charged the 35-year-old Shaler, Allegheny County, man last week in U.S. District Court in Pittsburgh.

The Butler Eagle is not identifying the suspect to protect the identity of the victim.

The defendant was arrested July 30 at his home where federal agents had gone with a search warrant from an child pornography investigation. Seized in the raid of the man's home was computer equipment including a Web cam and compact diskettes.

Some of the diskettes revealed images of adults performing sex acts with children and others showed children engaged in sex acts, according to court documents filed by the U.S. Attorney's office.

The suspect told police he has traded child pornography online from other computer users.

"He also admitted that he brought his (4)-year-old daughter into a room, gave her Hershey Kisses, removed her pants, showing her front and put her on the Web cam," documents said.

Authorities said they discovered on the suspect's computer an April 10 online conversation he had with another man. That conversation included references to having sex with children.

He also indicated in the online chat that he was offering his daughter to the other man for sex, authorities said.

The suspect declined to comment on the charges in his case when contacted Friday by the Butler Eagle at his father's home.

He said he has an attorney but did not identify his lawyer.

The defendant was arrested on child pornography charges and placed in federal prison. However, he was released Thursday following a detention hearing on Wednesday before U.S. Magistrate Lisa Pupo Lenihan.

The man is free after his father posted $10,000 bail. But Lenihan ordered the defendant, as a condition of his release, to remain under house arrest at his father's home.

Prosecutors did not challenge the court's decision.

"We're not appealing the order because the magistrate imposed stringent conditions, including electronic monitoring, and that he has to remain in the residence unless he has specific court approval to leave," said Paul Brysh, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office.

Additionally, the defendant is prohibited from any contact with his children or any other children.

The defendant will remain under house arrest until his case is resolved, Brysh said.

His arrest followed the indictment of another Allegheny County man accused of giving false statements to law enforcement authorities in a separate child pornography investigation.

A federal grand jury in Williamsport, Lycoming County, on May 13 indicted Wyndell Williams, 35, of West Mifflin on charges he lied to aid a friend, Angela McCullen, 35, of Emporium, Cameron County, accused of soliciting over the Internet her 2-year-old daughter for sex.

Authorities said during a search of Williams' home they found online conversations about child pornography recorded on his computer. Among the conversations was at least one with the Shaler man who is now staying in Butler County.