University Police detained a level III sex offender in Fine Arts 102, a computer lab, July 10, on suspicion of using Western computers for downloading child pornography, said Administrative Sgt. Dave Garcia of University Police.

Garcia said the man also matches the description of a wanted suspect in a series of burglaries that occurred in the Environmental Science Building and Arntzen Hall since fall quarter 2005.

Garcia said a witness saw a man in the computer lab looking at pornography via the Internet July 6. He said the witness believed the man was viewing underage subjects and reported the incident to UP the following day. A

UP officer encountered Gary Streitler, a level III sex offender registered in Skagit County, in the same computer lab July 10. Streitler matched the description of the man seen in the lab four days earlier, Garcia said

Garcia said Streitler also matched the description of a burglar who broke into offices in Arntzen Hall and the Environmental Science Building repeatedly from the end of fall quarter 2005 until June this year. He said Streitler was booked on suspicion of possession of child pornography and suspicion of burglary.

Vivian Barnes, an administrative service manager for the anthropology department in Arntzen, said the offices of professors in her department were subject to the burglaries. She said she didn't understand why the burglaries were happening because little was taken.

"It was just so random," Barnes said. "One professor had a $2 bill stolen, nothing else."

Barnes said the burglaries typically happened on weekends. Professors would try to unlock their office doors and find the locks either didn't work or the doors could be pushed open, she said.

Garcia said the burglar disabled the locks in the buildings without damaging the doors.

Professors and other employees in both buildings would return to their offices to find items askew, such as a computer turned on when it was normally off.

The burglar typically took loose change that he managed to find, but nothing significant, like the personal computers he appeared to be using, Garcia said.

Garcia said the damages incurred from the burglaries amounted to approximately $30,000, mainly from lock replacement.

Garcia said finding a suspect for two major offenses in one arrest is significant.

"Things don't always fall into place like that," Garcia said. ATUS Director Larry Gilbert said he believes the offender used a Universal Account he was not authorized to use. He said ATUS, the department responsible for Western's computer labs, has closed the loophole that was exploited.

Gilbert said Western had problems with outsiders using university computers before the Universal Account login system currently in use was implemented five years ago.

This is the first unauthorized use of university computers to come to his attention since then.

Streitler previously molested an 11-year-old girl, according to the Skagit County Sheriff's Office's sex offender registry.

Streitler recently recovered from a broken neck, which required him to wear a halo, a device that immobilized his head and neck and was bolted to his head, Garcia said.

Streitler has scars on his forehead from the treatment, which were key in identifying him as a suspect.

The Skagit Valley Sheriff's Office lists him as a transient with no address. Garcia said Streitler was on parole.

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