Prof. accused of Internet sex crimes
A former professor in Pennsylvania is facing charges for sex crimes after he allegedly took nude pictures of himself in his campus office and sent them to a minor in Spain. The man, age 65, is a retired music professor at Penn State, according to news reports. He is facing charges of corruption of minors, child pornography and several related auxiliary crimes. The man reportedly retired over the summer after working as an associate professor of music at the university’s Abington campus. He is accused of not only taking the nude pictures in his office, but also of using university equipment to distribute the illicit information. After authorities seized the man’s electronic equipment, they say they found semi-nude pictures of the Spanish girl in question, along with several additional and unrelated photographs of children exposing their bodies and posing in sexually suggestive positions. The man then turned over a flash drive with additional images that were not found on the computer hard drive. So far, the defendant in this case has admitted to communicating with the young woman by using his university’s electronic resources. He also owned up to allegations that he took the photographs on campus, sending the pictures through home and campus Internet servers. Further, the man said he had deleted all of the e-mail communications he had with the young girl shortly after officers first visited his home. Even though the man sent explicit photographs of himself to the girl, and encouraged her to do the same, there is no indication that the man ever had sexual contact with a minor. Officers in the area say they are pleased with the way they handled the case because of the university’s history with sexual misconduct; institutions must follow up with suspicious activity immediately. In this case, the man has decided to admit to most of the allegations outright. Defendants in criminal cases have the right to make many decisions about their legal options; these choices are best facilitated by the assistance of a qualified legal professional. Source: www.phillyburbs.com, “DA: Ex-PSU Abington professor sent nude pix to teen” Margaret Gibbons, Oct. 14, 2013
