LSU police arrested Associate Dean of Students Jim Welles late Wednesday night after an office employee discovered a pornographic photo of prepubescent boys on the printer of the chief disciplinarian’s Johnston Hall office.
LSUPD spokesman Ricky Adams said police found pornographic videotapes and compact discs in Welles’ home and several illegal files on his computers. Welles is the campus administer who punishes students for behavior that violates the University’s Student Code of Conduct.
Police charged Welles with one count of possession of child pornography and booked him in East Baton Rouge Parish Prison around 11 p.m. Wednesday. He was still in jail as of press time Thursday night.
Adams said the Dean of Students office employee who tipped off police found the printed photo about three weeks ago and brought it to Welles. Adams said Welles told the employee that he would report the photo right away.
When the employee questioned Welles about the photo Wednesday morning, police said Welles told her that Computing Services determined that the photo was not illegal — meaning the boys in the image were older than the legal age of 17, according to police.
Skeptical of Welles’ response, the office employee called Computing Services. Employees at Computing Services said they had never heard of the photo.
The employee, who made a copy of the pornographic photo before she turned it into Welles, called the police immediately.
Adams said Internet Crimes Task Force investigators are still investigating Welles’ computers and trying to determine the ages of the children in the photos and on the tapes. But Adams said he thinks the boys in the photos are younger than the legal age to engage in pornography.
Officers searched and seized evidence in Welles’ office, his Baton Rouge home and his French Quarter residence in New Orleans.
It is too early to determine how much child pornography Welles possessed. And though police only charged him with one count of possession of child pornography, Adams said police may still add charges after investigators finish the examination.
Police may also add charges of distribution — which can mean much stiffer penalties — because of the copied videotapes and CDs.
Adams said his office is working with local FBI agents who specialize in cyber crimes and will likely take the case to the U.S. Attorney’s Office to try it in a federal court. If Welles is tried in a state court, he could receive two to 10 years per count charged against them.
But the penalties are stricter for sex crimes in federal courts than in the state court.
Holly Houk, University Relations associate director, said Welles is on paid administrative leave, pending an administrative review, which she said will be underway soon. She said the University does not know how long the review will take.
Houk also said the University is setting up a plan to have another University employee handle Welles’ disciplinary cases.
“This behavior is wrong, and the University is taking this very seriously,” Houk said.
Welles’ arrest is the second faculty child pornography case in the past two years. In 2003, police arrested University Relations employee Ron Brown for possession of child pornography. Brown pleaded guilty and is awaiting sentencing.
LSUPD also arrested a political science junior last year for possessing video files of child pornography on her computer. Elizaveta Nikonova also recently pleaded guilty to possession charges in a U.S. District Court and is awaiting sentencing.
Welles’ bond is set at $25,000.