A tip led police to arrest a University of Pittsburgh official Wednesday after they say they found child pornography on his home computer.
Edward Michaels, 67, of Wilkinsburg, director of Pitt’s counseling center, is charged with possession of child porn and criminal use of a communication facility, according to a criminal complaint.
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Wilkinsburg police were tipped to possibly illegal materials on Michaels’ computer in March, and after getting consent to search, an officer allegedly found “photographs of young girls appearing to be prepubescent in sexually explicit poses,” according to the complaint.
The Allegheny County Police forensic unit later found more than 100 similar images on Michaels’ computer from a number of websites, according to the complaint.
"He certainly denies this," said Michaels' attorney David Shrager. "I haven't had a chance to thoroughly debrief him yet, but he certainly denies the allegations."
Pitt released a statement after Michaels’ arrest:
“(Michaels) has been placed on leave from the university. The university is cooperating fully with authorities conducting the investigation. Michaels, who has been a member of the staff for two years, served in an administrative role, and was not assigned clients.”
Michaels worked at the University of Pittsburgh Counseling Center for the past two years. He's held similar positions at other universities across the country, and he's a licensed psychologist.
Michaels was released on non-monetary bond. He has a preliminary hearing scheduled for June 1.
Cox Media Group