Library Bust
By Will Johnson
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – The Crockett Public Library became a crime scene on Wednesday, May 24 after a 26-year-old man, with a listed New Hampshire address was arrested for using a library computer to view child pornography.
Daniel O’Connor was taken into custody by the Crockett Police Department after alert library employees noticed he was acting in a suspicious manner.
According to the arrest report, officers with CPD were dispatched to the library located at 709 E. Houston Ave. in Crockett “… in reference to an individual that was watching child pornography.”
CPD Officer Abel Aguirre stated in the report he received the dispatch at approximately 11:33 a.m. and spoke to a library employee when he arrived at the location.
The arrest report stated once Aguirre received confirmation the suspect (O’Connor) was still present in the facility, he “… approached the subject and when we made eye contact, he quickly closed out of a (computer) window he was on.”
“I then asked him what he was doing and he said ‘chillin,’” the report continued. “I then looked at his screen and it was blank. I asked the individual to pull the history on the computer, but it was no longer available.”
As Aguirre continued to question O’Connor, the officer asked him to step outside to gather further information. The report indicated O’Connor denied he was viewing child pornography “… and that he was playing solitaire.”
The report also stated Aguirre informed O’Connor the library employees had software installed in the computer which allowed them to see what type of material was viewed on the different terminals.
“I asked O’Connor to be honest with me and that they (library employees) had a screen shot of his computer with child pornography. O’Connor continued to state all he was doing was playing solitaire,” according to the arrest report.
When the CPD officer re-entered the library to view the screen shot, the report stated the image he observed was that of a nude underage child, along with various other pictures.
“We then spoke to one of the employees on how they discovered the material. One advised that they had never seen O’Connor before and he was just walking back and forth, acting very suspicious. They then clicked to see his computer screen and saw what O’Connor was watching,” the report stated.
The library staff also indicated there were more illicit images viewed by O’Connor but, according to the report, “… they only managed to save one of the screen shots mentioned because it (the computer window) was closed out quickly.”
O’Connor was arrested and transported to the Crockett Police Department for questioning but refused to answer any questions. He was then transported to the Houston County Jail and booked into custody on one count of possession or promotion of child pornography, a third degree felony.
According to Section 12.34 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the third degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 10 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the third degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”
Will Johnson may be contacted via e-mail at [email protected].
