To protect child, he has risked a life in prison

To protect child, he has risked a life in prison 2-time offender discovered images of a child's abuse inside stolen safe

SAN JOSE, CALIF. - Matthew Ryan Hahn glared in disbelief at the digital photographs of a man molesting a girl. She was only a year old, maybe 2.

The next thing to do would be obvious — call police. But Hahn had been convicted of burglary more than once. And the memory card on which he discovered the photos came from a stolen safe.

Hahn knew being nabbed for another crime could make him a three-striker and send him to prison for life. But the images were burned into his mind.

After a sleepless night, Hahn took the card, placed it inside a pink change purse and attached a typewritten note. It said: "Please remove this animal from the streets."

He wrapped the whole thing in a package that he jammed into a random mailbox. It was addressed to the Los Gatos Police Department.

A year later, Hahn, 26, is in Elmwood correctional facility. Housed in the next building over, in protective custody, is John "Robbie" Robertson Aitken. The 22-year-old with no previous criminal record is charged with molesting his infant goddaughter..

"There is honor among thieves," said Dana Overstreet , who is prosecuting Aitken. "In my case, Hahn is a hero."

Hahn is expected to be one of the prosecution's main witnesses against Aitken. And then, he too will go on trial.

The two men's lives collided sometime after midnight on Feb. 28, 2005, in the darkness of a messy studio apartment. Aitken woke up with a start and turned on the light, according to court records. He heard noises. His gun safe was gone. He called 911.

He told police that there was a handgun and some personal papers in there.

Both the responding police and Aitken's friends noticed that he seemed extraordinarily anxious about the theft, court records said.

Police say Hahn was probably the burglar that night or — if not — that he illegally got what was in that safe.

Hahn refused to talk about where he got the memory stick or whether he burglarized Aitken's apartment that night.

On March 1, when investigators got the package he sent and saw what was in it, they moved quickly, fearing for the safety of the child in the photos.

Whoever had sent the package had written: "Property of Robert Aitken, Wedgewood Drive." Wasn't that the guy who had just reported a burglary?

On March 3, detectives called Aitken. They had some follow-up questions — could he come down? Aitken and the investigators talked for a while, casually.

Then Carl Lewis, a district attorney investigator, opened up a folder. Inside was a blown-up photograph of Aitken's face from the memory card.

"He just melted into the chair," said Mike Barbieri, one of the detectives. "It gave me goose bumps." Aitken put his hands over his face, according to court documents, took a deep sigh, and started talking.

When police searched Aitken's apartment, they found one of the little girl's dresses. A computer forensic search found thousands of pornographic images — including more than 100 that were identified as illegal child pornography.

No charge in theft of safe

Hahn was arrested April 8, 2005, on a warrant for unrelated crimes. Barring a plea deal, he will soon face trial on 12 counts of first-degree burglary, possession of stolen property and grand theft.

But none of Hahn's current charges is for stealing the safe. Police didn't even know whether he was the person who tipped them off to Aitken.

Until they arrested him, and he said: "I gave you Robbie Aitken." It's unclear whether Hahn might receive some leniency for turning over the memory stick.

Hahn said he often thinks about what he did with the memory card. He asks himself if it balances in some moral way against his own crimes. In the end, he said he is confused about his role in bringing an alleged child molester to justice.

"It was almost like fate," Hahn said. "It was almost like it couldn't have happened any other way."