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An equestrian trainer with links to several stables, including one in South Attleboro, faces child pornography and statutory rape charges involving former students.

Joseph M. Silva, 32, of Swansea introduced his victims to child and adult pornography, Bristol County Assistant District Attorney Silvia Rudman said during Silva's arraignment in Fall River District Court on Wednesday.

Prosecutors say 265 of more than 70,000 images found so far on one of the 10 hard drives confiscated from Silva's home are of children associated with three horse farms: the Morse Brook Equestrian Center in South Attleboro where he trained and boarded horses, Haskins Farm in Berkley and Holloway Farms in Lakeville. A forensic analyst also has found 86 images of unclothed children, Rudman said.

"He has them participate in some perverse fetishes that he has, including a foot fetish. And then it graduates on to oral sex, digital sex and then intercourse," Rudman said.

The alleged rapes involved children in Swansea and Berkley The Swansea incident allegedly happened in early 1996 and involved a girl who was under age 16. The Berkley incident allegedly happened between June 2002 and October 2004 and involved a girl who was between ages 13 and 16, the prosecutor said.

Authorities have identified four other victims "and suspect that more are out there," Rudman said in a statement.

Lisa Rowell, spokeswoman for District Attorney Sam Sutter, declined to say whether any of the victims were from the South Attleboro stable.

But Silva's attorney, Ed Kelly, said an ex-girlfriend is behind the allegations.

"She's been after him to give him a hard time through this whole duration," Kelly said in court.

The hard drives include "all sorts of things back and forth between her and this girl they're talking about," Kelly said.

Silva was arrested at his home on Wednesday.

He was ordered held on $100,000 cash bail and ordered not to have any contact with the victims.

Berkley police also will charge him, and he will be arraigned in Taunton District Court when and if he posts bail.

Swansea police and the district attorney's office said their investigation continues. They are asking anyone with information to call Officer Joe Martin or Sgt. Gregory Ryan at the Swansea Police Department at 508-674-8464, or Investigator Linda Pereira at the district attorney's office at 508-997-7411.

It's the second time in less than a week that a person who works with children has faced child pornography charges.

Last Friday, John J. Ready, 60, of Norton, a former local scout leader, was arrested after he allegedly communicated via computer with Virginia police detectives posing as 13-year-old boys.

Troop 24 of the Anawan Council of the Boy Scouts of America filed papers Monday that revoke Ready's membership in the scouts.

MICHAEL GELBWASSER can be reached at 508-236-0372 or at mgelbwasser@thesunchronicle.com.