Jesse S. Ward was excited. He had a new girlfriend with daughters ages 3 years and 9 months, he e-mailed his child pornography contacts.

Mr. Ward, 27, of Crawfordville, Ga., didn't know that at least two of his contacts were undercover officers. He had already forwarded them a photograph of an infant about to be raped by an adult male. Mr. Ward told his contacts he should have his own pictures soon, according to testimony and court documents in U.S. District Court in Augusta.

On Tuesday, Mr. Ward pleaded guilty to transmitting an image of child pornography Oct. 5.

FBI Special Agent Brian Ozden of the Augusta office testified that state and federal agents in Georgia, Maryland and Florida focused an investigation of "toddlertodd." They traced the log-on name to an area in Thomson where wireless Internet service was provided and were able to identify the unique number assigned to the suspect's computer.

Agent Ozden said they used a computer surveillance software program to catch the suspect when he logged on to wireless service. About 2 a.m. Oct. 5, they found Mr. Ward sitting in his car in a business parking lot. His laptop was logged on to the Internet, Agent Ozden testified.

Officers searched the laptop and another computer at Mr. Ward's home. They found 968 photographic images of child pornography and 21 pornographic videos of children, Agent Ozden testified.

According to a court order signed last fall to keep Mr. Ward in custody pending the conclusion of his criminal case, he wrote in e-mails about his prior jobs in day care and preschool programs, and of his new girlfriend's children.

"All these emails, pics, and vids are great but I want more than just that," Mr. Ward wrote to undercover agents.

No sentencing date has been set. He faces five to 20 years in prison followed by probation of five years to life.