An equestrian trainer, Silva runs the Silver Falcon Stables in Swansea, a business that takes him to various homes and places him around many young girls, said Assistant District Attorney Silvia Rudman. Silva has also been associated with Morse Brook Equestrian Center in North Attleboro, the Haskins Farm in Berkley and Holloway Farms in Lakeville.

"Silva's history shows relationships beginning through his equestrian training, where he lures young girls through his professional contacts," said Rudman. "He then introduces them to pornography, foot fetishes, oral sex and eventually intercourse."

Ten computer hard drives were seized from Silva's home, but only part of one hard drive has been investigated by Norwood Police Detective Dave Papargiris, who is part of the Metropolitan Law Enforcement Council computer crimes task force that is assisting the district attorney's office.

"There were 70,000 to 80,000 images on that hard drive, 265 of them involving children associated with horse farms and 86 of those depicting unclothed children," said Rudman.

Images of two of the nude children on the hard drive were identified as Gavin and Haley of the United Kingdom, Rudman said, children identified as part of a known child pornography ring.

Rudman asked Silva's bail to be set at $500,000 because the district attorney's office felt he was a flight risk and a danger, especially to children.

"Mr. Silva is an accomplished equestrian who travels across the country," said Rudman. "He is a predator and a danger and has been in contact with girls ages 8 years of age and up."

Silva's attorney, Edward Kelly, said that he had been in constant communication with the district attorney's office about the impending charges against his client days before the arrest. He denied that Silva was a flight risk and asked that the bail be set at $3,000.

"Mr. Silva has lived his whole life in the town of Swansea, owns a single-family home, runs his own stable and the thought of him being a risk for flight is nonsense," said Kelly. "A request for bail is to assure his appearance. He knew the charges were coming on this case."

Kelly said the 1996 charges against Silva stem from an ex-girlfriend who was 16 at the time of the incident, Silva was 20. He said the alleged victim continues to call Silva to this day.

Silva was also arraigned in Taunton District Court for incidents in Berkley between June of 2002 and October of 2004, including charges of posing a child in the nude and statutory rape of a child.

Swansea Patrolman Joseph Martin, Sgt. Gregory Ryan and Patrolman Peter Robidoux is part of Swansea's sex crime unit, were instrumental in Silva's arrest. The officers, along Bristol County District Attorney Investigators Linda Pereira and Tom Carroll, said this kind of case is a call out to parents to keep lines of communication open between them and their children about the dangers of sex crimes.

"A lot of money is spent on alcohol and drug prevention, but we want parents to talk to their children about these dangers, find out where their children have been or what they were doing and with whom," said Martin. "We find that, at times, awareness is not at the level it could be, and with young children, they can be easily manipulated. This is something that could happen to anyone."

Police are asking that anyone with information concerning the ongoing ivestigation contact Martin or Ryan at the Swansea Police Department by calling 508-674-8464.

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