The Dublin man who took over a highly profitable child pornography Web site from its underage creator pleaded guilty Friday to four federal crimes.

Gregory John Mitchel, 38, signed a plea agreement with the government admitting to the production, possession, transportation and sale of child pornography in interstate commerce.

The maximum statutory penalty for those four charges is more than 100 years in prison.

The events surrounding Mitchel's arrest have attracted national attention, in part because it was a 13-year-old boy, Justin Berry of California, who started the Web site with Mitchel's help.

The Roanoke Times typically does not name juveniles who are victims of exploitation, but Berry has been named numerous times in other publications and is scheduled for an appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."

According to Joe Mott, assistant U.S. attorney for the Western District of Virginia, Berry's Web site began innocently enough. But when the computer-savvy boy obtained a webcam in 2000 and started broadcasting his daily life live on the Internet, things changed.

"He was hit on by predators the same day," said Monique Winkis, a special agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Maryland.

Soon, Berry was disrobing and masturbating live on his webcam in exchange for payments from viewers, Mott said. The juvenile even set up payment options, first through Western Union, then PayPal.com, and finally a credit card payment processing site called Neova.net.

It was through Berry's Web sites that he met Mitchel, and by the time the boy was 15, the two had met and had sexual relations, officials say.

Mitchel is accused of eventually helping Berry start a new Web site called justinsfriends.com, which featured at least a half-dozen juveniles and their biographies, Winkis said.

Mott said visitors could click on each juvenile's picture and view pornography involving that child.

The site had both a preview section and a "members only" area. Members paid $29.95 per month to view the images, Mott said.

Berry and Mitchel also produced a video together that featured Berry and a 14-year-old male from Southwest Virginia who has not been identified by police. Winkis said the Web site included more than one Southwest Virginia juvenile, but she declined to say how many.

In late July 2005, Berry was approached by a New York Times reporter working on an investigative piece about child pornography, Mott said.

Because of their contact, Berry decided to discontinue his illegal behavior, hired a lawyer and went to the FBI in Maryland.

Berry, who is now close to 20 years old, was interviewed at length by federal investigators and granted immunity in exchange for his cooperation, Mott said. After Berry discontinued his involvement in the Web sites, payments to justinsfriends.com increased, the prosecutor added.

In September, Mitchel's home on Dunkard Road in Dublin was raided by authorities and he was arrested. Winkis said agents recovered more than 600 pornographic images of children there.

Mitchel was indicted on six federal charges in October, but because of the plea agreement, the government will drop charges of receipt and advertising of child pornography.

According to a federal affidavit, agents seized a great deal of computer equipment from Mitchel's residence, including a computer, a laptop and several cameras. He will forfeit those items as part of the plea agreement.

Winkis said the investigation into how many people subscribed to justinsfriends.com continues, but for now it is safe to say they number in at least the hundreds.

A Tennessee man, Timothy Richards, is under arrest and faces charges including distribution of child pornography, Winkis said.

More indictments are expected in the case.

Asked if any of the payment processors might face charges, Mott said it will depend on their level of knowledge.

Mitchel will be sentenced by U.S. District Judge Samuel Wilson at a later date.