Williamsport, Pa. — A man accused of giving children drugs and alcohol for sex wants his freedom — but for now, it comes with a hefty price. Meanwhile, he awaits a federal indictment being filed against him.
Colin James Best, 40, is facing child pornography and invasion of privacy charges. On Wednesday, he argued justice has moved too slow during his hearing at the Lycoming County Courthouse, claiming his two cases fall under Rule 600, which states defendants are entitled to a quick and speeding trial.
Judge William Carlucci partially agreed by giving Best bail — a high bail with several stipulations.
Best will have to post $50,000 for each one of his cases. If he manages to raise the $100,000, he will be placed on GPS monitoring and house arrest. He will also have regular check-ins, surrender his passport, and have no contact with minors including all victims and family members.
Best argued he cannot prepare for his case while being incarcerated at the Lycoming County Prison. ADA Korrin Moon countered saying Best has filed six pretrial motions since being locked up in December.
Cries from victims and their families could be heard throughout the courtroom as Carlucci announced his decision. They left the room before he read off all the stipulations Best would have to follow if he posts his $100,000 bail.
Best told Carlucci he would live with is parents in Jersey Shore and work at Huntsman Logging and Trucking.
Best claimed he was not receiving medication for ADHD and PTSD at the prison. He also complained of a toothache.
Charges and previous hearings
The prosecution called eight witnesses over two cases during a preliminary hearing for Best. All told similar stories of Best giving them marijuana and vapes before filming them. In some cases, Best videotaped groups without their consent as they got into the shower. In two instances, Best was reportedly caught trying to take clothing off victims and film body parts.
Victims identified Best in multiple videos. One pointed out a tattoo on his hand, while others were able to identify more victims and items of clothing they were wearing at the time.
After Best was charged in October of last year for assaulting a child inside his Williamsport home, a search of his seized cell phone led to more charges, including the production of child pornography.
Investigators say they found 17 different videos on his phone depicting children undressing, performing sexual acts, consuming alcohol, or using vape pens, investigators said.
In November, agents received a search warrant for Best’s iCloud account set up using his business email address affiliated with EZ Window Cleaning.
Special prosecutors helped the Lycoming County District Attorney’s Office identify and determine the approximate age of the victims in the videos.
Best is being charged with child pornography, photographing child sex acts, invasion of privacy, corruption of minors, furnish alcohol to minors, illegal use of a communication facility, and endangering the welfare of children. Frey denied bail.
Best was charged with corruption of minors, furnishing alcohol to minors, and unlawful contact with a minor earlier this year. Best denied the charges through emails sent to NorthcentralPa.
In 2020, he was found guilty of photographing intimate parts of another person without their knowing or consent. He was also charged with burglary, theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property, and corruption of minors in 2008. He pleaded guilty to several of the counts.
Federal charges on the way for Best
During the hearing, prosecutors did say a federal indictment against Best is on way. There was not argument from Best’s attorney, who also made mention of the federal investigation during his arguments.
Docket sheet 1
Docket sheet 2
