BELLEFONTE — Two of the four men accused of operating a child porn ring in the Tyrone area had their charges forwarded Wednesday to Centre County court, after an 18-year-old testified she was 14 when she went to the home of Samuel Friday, 67, and was enticed into sexual activity with multiple men.

Appearing before Magisterial District Judge Donald M. Hahn for preliminary hearings in the case were Friday; James Kobuck, 61; and Michael H. Woomer, 66.

Kobuck waived his right to a preliminary hearing, automatically sending his charges on to the Court of Common Pleas, while Friday had his hearing continued to Jan. 7.

A fourth man charged in the case, Morris Reese, 64, is also scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Jan. 7.

During the Wednesday morning hearing held for Woomer, a state police trooper said the case centers around Friday’s home, where Friday allegedly lured minors with offers of cash in exchange for sex acts. Investigators allege the porn ring has operated since the 1990s, according to court documents.

Trooper Jonathan Hodges testified that a search of the home turned up hundreds of videos and thousands of both analog and digital photographs depicting Friday and a number of other men — allegedly Woomer, Reese and Kobuck — participating in sex acts with underage victims.

Hodges said the abuse happened in Friday’s basement, which was equipped with recording equipment, sex toys and at least one hidden camera painted to look like the wood-panel walls.

Centre County First Assistant District Attorney Joshua Andrews presented a printed screenshot of a video showing Woomer and the victim having intercourse, saying that it was one sample of the full collection of evidence.

Hodges said that at least 10 videos and more than 100 photographs feature Woomer.

Andrews called on one of the alleged victims to provide context on how she was subjected to sexual servitude over the course of several years through her relationship with Friday.

The victim, who was joined in the courtroom by her golden retriever dog sitting by her side for comfort — a concession allowed by Hahn over the objections of defense attorney Thomas Dickey — said she and her mother had lived with Friday.

According to the victim, the abuse began when she was 14, with Friday offering her cash payments for increasing degrees of sexual activity, culminating with full intercourse that he filmed.

A few months after the start of the abuse, Friday began inviting other men, including Woomer, over to his house to participate in the sex acts, with Friday regularly photographing or filming the encounters, she said.

This type of abuse continued on a weekly basis, only concluding earlier this year, she said, adding she felt “pressured” to participate in the sex acts, and didn’t know what would happen if she refused.

Under questioning from Dickey, the victim said she did not discuss her age with Woomer and her Facebook page displayed an inaccurate date of birth that showed her as being “20 or 22.”

Woomer may have discussed her age with Friday elsewhere, but the victim said she did not recall any conversation taking place in her presence.

At the conclusion of the testimony, Dickey requested that Hahn dismiss the charges against his client, stating that having sex with a minor and soliciting a victim of sex trafficking are different charges, and that the commonwealth had not met the burden of proof to pursue them further.

Dickey also requested that Woomer be released from the Centre County Correctional Facility, where he has been housed since his arrest last month.

Dickey said Woomer has no prior criminal record and would not be a danger to the community if released on bail.

Hahn denied the request to dismiss the charges, but set Woomer’s bail at $2 million, with conditions prohibiting him from contacting the alleged co-defendants and victims and from being near minors.

In addition, Woomer, who is facing 10 felony counts of photographing/filming a sex act involving a minor and one felony count of patronizing a victim of sex trafficking, saw the 10 felony counts lowered from first-degree felonies to second-degree felonies.

After the hearing, Woomer was returned to the Centre County Correctional Facility.

Friday faces two felony counts of human trafficking – recruitment, two felony counts of patronizing victims of human trafficking, and 10 felony counts each of photographing/videotaping a sex act and possession of child pornography.

Reese is facing two felony counts of human trafficking – recruitment, two felony counts of patronizing victims of human trafficking and 10 felony counts of photographing/filming a sex act involving a minor.

Both Friday and Reese remain incarcerated without bail.

Kobuck was arraigned Saturday on felony counts of engaging/performing a commercial sex act with a minor and photograph/film/depict on computer sex act – knowingly or permitting a child. He remains in the Centre County prison unable to post $50,000 bail. His formal arraignment has been set for Jan. 14.

‘More evidence’

Andrews took questions from local media following Wednesday’s hearing, and said that investigators still have “a lot more (evidence) to dig through.”

“There are still hundreds of photos yet to be reviewed, but we are over the halfway point,” Andrews said.

According to Andrews, additional charges may be filed as investigators process the remaining material and interview victims.

Two victims have come forward so far, Andrews said, but that number may increase over the course of the investigation.

Anyone with information should contact Hodges at 814-355-7545 or county Detective John Aston at 814-355-6735.

Mirror Staff Writer Conner Goetz is at 814-946-7535.