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Investigators Recover Child Porn Videos on former Cub Scout Leader's Laptop

Investigators believe that no local children were depicted.

 

San Ramon Police Department investigators said Thursday they are continuing to look through computer and camera equipment seized yesterday from Michael Howard Vawter, the Danville resident and Cub Scout leader suspected of possessing child pornography.

So far, investigators have recovered pornographic videos only.

"It does not appear that any local children were depicted in anything recovered," said Lt. Dan Pratt, operations bureau commander for the department. "There is no indication that he took any of these videos himself. It appears that these were previously published videos that were exchanged."

Pratt said that investigators served a search warrant for the suspect's work computer and attached hard drive Wednesday at CCI Financial Services in San Ramon, where Vawter is employed. Police found pornographic material on the work computer.

A warrant also was served for his Grassland Court residence in Danville, where investigators seized home computer and camera equipment. No pornographic material had been found on the home equipment, though police had not completed their investigation, Pratt said.

In response to Patch inquiries, Valli Bowman, chief operating officer for CCI Financial Services, released this statement today: "CCI Financial Services is troubled by this incident and is fully cooperating with the authorities on this matter. Due to the ongoing criminal investigation, we cannot comment on any aspect of this incident."

The San Ramon Police Department acted on an anonymous tip received Monday by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline.

 

Joe Hackman

6:24 pm on Thursday, March 18, 2010

Very sorry to see this in our community, particularly with someone who had access to children. Everyone deserves their day in court but this does not look good.

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