Local man facing federal charges of having child porn
|
Cathy Perfect
Kern Valley Sun
Paul Monk, of Lake Isabella, is facing federal charges of having child pornography on his computer.
Monk, 37, was arrested at his home Sept. 11, but has been released as part of a pretrial condition, according to U.S. Attorney David Gappa.
Monk was hired by Cerro Coso Community College in January 1998 to work as an adjunct instructor in History and Personal Development at the Kern River Valley campus.
The criminal complaint alleges that in March, 2005, Kathy Free, a Paypal/Ebay Security Supervisor, contacted FBI agents advising them that a Paypal account associated with Monk attempted to purchase entrée to a pay-for-access website that sells images of child pornography. After Paypal discovered that Monk’s account was used to attempt to access the child porn site, Monk’s account was frozen.
Based on information provided by Free, FBI agents subpoenaed Paypal for information associated with Monk’s account. The results of the subpoena yielded Monk’s personal information, i.e. email address, home address, and telephone number, court records show.
The federal complaint goes on to say that on March 15, 2006 FBI agents went to Monk’s home to interview him. Monk denied downloading the child pornography, explaining that he allowed students at the community college to use his computer; perhaps they had downloaded the material. Agents seized the computer and found “numerous images and videos of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, ” according to the court documents.
FBI agents returned to Monk’s home on Sept. 11 for another interview. Agents advised Monk that analysis of his computer indicated that whoever was accessing the child pornography had continual access to the computer over a prolonged period of time and at odd hours, the court documents said.
Accounting to the complaint, during the interview Monk stated, “I did it. I downloaded the CP (child pornography). There are lots of sites out there filled with this stuff. I made a mistake. I admit it.” Monk said he began downloading the child pornography after he got divorced, and that he was in a deep depression. He claimed he downloaded the child porn for a period of about 18 months.
In June, 1999, Monk received accolades for his passionate style of teaching and his ability to “make history come alive” for students. He was named Teacher of the Year by Cerro Coso and the Kern Valley Exchange Club. In September 2006 Monk was hired, in addition to his adjunct faculty responsibilities, as a part-time Educational Advisor.
Last Friday, Cerro Coso administrators issued a statement to news media regarding Monk. “It is our understanding that Mr. Paul Monk is facing criminal charges in Federal Court. Mr. Monk is on paid administrative leave while the case is pending, in accordance with collective bargaining agreements and the California Education Code. The College District requires all of its employees to submit to a criminal background check prior to employment.”
“The process is now in the hands of the Federal Courts,” stated Dr. Mary Retterer, President of Cerro Coso Community College.
According to Gappa, Monk faces up to 20 years for receipt of child pornography with a five-year minimum and up to 10 years for possession of the material, with a $250,000 maximum fine for each count.
Monk is scheduled for a hearing in U.S. District Court in Fresno on Oct. 10, according to Gappa.
Please click on link to see notification of complaint. http://www.kvsun.com/pdf/Monk08.pdf
