Paul Travis Williams was very forthcoming with authorities when they searched his home last month amid accusations he uploaded child pornography from his work computer at a 4-H camp, his attorney said Friday.
He turned over his computers, his hard drives and practically anything that officials thought would have the digital porn on it and gave interviews to police, according to Catherine Bernard.
But even with “having nothing to hide,” the Lumpkin County Sheriff’s Office still arrested Williams, who — through his lawyer — said he is unsure how officials found any inkling of child porn.
“He’s still processing this whole thing,” Bernard told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in a phone interview.
Bernard said Williams, 48, had practically a clean record until his Oct. 12 arrest. He’d been with the 4-H center in Lumpkin County for 17 years.
“We’re talking about someone who hasn’t gotten in trouble beyond a speeding ticket,” she said.
Williams bonded out of jail late Thursday.
Credit: Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office
Credit: Lumpkin County Sheriff's Office
Lumpkin County officials were notified of the allegations after University of Georgia officials said a cyber filter detected the download at the camp, Channel 2 Action News reported.
Lumpkin authorities searched the 4-H camp on Sept. 15 as well as Williams' home. A hard drive with child porn was found inside the home, Lt. Alan Roach said.
Bernard said there have been no allegations that her client took photos of children at the youth camp and that it’s possible someone else used the camp’s internet connection or Williams’ home connection to download the porn.
“A lot of people had access to the wireless. Some host (child pornography) on someone unsuspecting,” she said. “We don’t have any specific ideas, it’s just speculation.”
Williams is staying with family members during the investigation, Bernard said.
“He’s extremely upset,” she said, “but he’s concerned about what (the investigation) is putting the community through.”
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