Prominent SF Gay Rights Activist Charged With Distributing Child Porn
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) - A former employee of the San Francisco Human Rights Commission was charged with multiple felony counts of possessing and distributing child pornography, District Attorney George Gascon said.
Larry Brinkin, 66, was charged with four counts of possessing child pornography and two counts of distributing child pornography, Gascon said.
Brinkin was arrested on Thursday and booked into county jail on suspicion of possession and distribution of child pornography.
He pleaded not guilty on all six counts Wednesday morning and posted $240,000 bail.
Brinkin had been arrested in June on similar charges but prosecutors did not file charges and requested the police investigate further, according to San Francisco police Sgt. Mike Andraychak.
Gascon said AOL filed the initial report of child pornography distribution to the Los Angeles police. The police investigation discovered the person in question is a San Francisco resident, he said.
The child pornography images and videos that Brinkin is charged with possessing and distributing originated in Australia, Gascon said.
He said a suspect in Australia was tied to the investigation and authorities there have made an arrest on their end.
"The nature of this stuff is very disturbing," Gascon said.
A conviction on any count would require Brinkin to register as a sex offender for life, he said.
Evidence from the investigation indicates Brinkin was an active participant dating back to October 2011, according to Assistant District Attorney Leslie Cogan.
There is no evidence that Brinkin used his work email to distribute any of the pornography, Gascon said.
Brinkin retired from the Human Rights Commission in 2010 after 22 years of service.
The Board of Supervisors passed a resolution that year proclaiming Dec. 1-7, 2010, "Larry Brinkin Week" in San Francisco because of his work for LGBT issues.
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