VALDOSTA — A local businessman was indicted on 10 counts of illegal reproduction of recorded material May 2 by a Lowndes County Grand Jury.

Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office Investigators arrested James Pitts, owner of Christian Virtues located in the 2000 block of Bemiss Road, in November 2007 after recovering hundreds of questionable CDs from the business. The investigation began after authorities received a complaint that the store was selling pirated music and videos, according to a press release issued by Cpt. J.D. Yeager.

Through cooperation with the investigative divisions of several major record companies, detectives were able to confirm that 730 CDs were pirated and illegal, according to Yeager.

Following Pitts’ arrest and the issuing of search warrants for his business and residence, approximately 500 additional CDs, CD burners, computers and other items associated with pirating were recovered, according to the release.

The Lowndes County Sheriff’s Office asserted that while it is legal to download or copy music and videos for personal use, it is illegal to sell or distribute those copies for any reason and authorities will continue to investigate and prosecute such complaints.