A bond hearing Thursday in Tyler federal court, revealed the East Texan accused of creating the "Candyman" e-mail group has previous convictions of indecency with a child.
"Candyman" was an internet child porn service with worldwide reach. An FBI agent uncovered 32-year old Mark Alton Bates, of Anderson County, was convicted of fondling a 9-year-old and an 11-year-old boy back in 1986. He was then barred from Ft. Polk military base in Louisiana.
In 1988, Bates pleaded guilty to three counts of indencency with a child for fondling two six-year-olds and an eight-year-old. He was sentenced to 7 years in prison but he only served 18-months of the sentence.