Former St. Helena Educator Pleads Not Guilty To Child Porn Charge
NAPA COUNTY (CBS SF) -- A former school instructional assistant pleaded not guilty Monday in Napa County Superior Court after being arrested Friday on suspicion of possessing child pornography.
Charles Tyler Kennedy, 74, is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on Aug. 17.
Kennedy was arrested at his American Canyon home and booked in the Napa County jail under $50,000 bail, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office.
Sheriff's spokesman Henry Wofford said Kennedy told deputies that he is a retired instructional assistant at Napa Valley College and St. Helena High School and that he lives alone and is the only person who has access to his computer.
Marylou Wilson, Superintendent of the St. Helena Unified School District, said Kennedy worked as a bilingual para-educator at the high school between 2005 and 2011 and later in a limited capacity as a substitute teacher.
The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in February informed the sheriff's office that an IP address registered to Kennedy and associated with his address was allegedly uploading child pornography files, sheriff's officials said.
Deputies served a search warrant at Kennedy's address on May 2 and seized multiple computers and electronic equipment that allegedly contained pictures, video and internet searches related to male and female juveniles in a sexual manner. More than 100 child pornography pictures were allegedly located on the devices, sheriff's officials said.
Kennedy was booked in the Napa County jail on suspicion of felony possession of obscene matter involving minors in sexual acts, according to the sheriff's office.
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