WILLIAMSPORT, PENN
Former Harris Township Supervisor Christopher G. Lee, age 66, was convicted last week of possession of child pornography as well as obstruction of justice.
The four-day trial was held before U.S. District Court Judge Matthew W. Brann in Williamsport.
Lee is also is the ex-director of the Boal Mansion Museum in Boalsburg, PA. It was because of his affiliation with the Boal Mansion Museum that Lee had access to teenage boys, who volunteered or worked at the museum as docents or tour guides.
Some of these boys later became victims of his production of child pornography.
According to U.S. Attorney Peter Smith, the jury returned with the verdict of guilty of producing and receiving child pornography after approximately two hours of deliberation. The jury of six men and six women also convicted Lee of possessing images of child pornography, including images of prepubescent children under the age of 12 years old.
Finally, after hearing Lee attempt to have his cousin assist him in having his cellular telephone that was in the custody of the FBI “wiped remotely” in multiple recorded phone calls, the jury convicted Lee of obstruction of justice.
Lee’s Attorney Kyle Rude acknowledged examples shown the jurors of the 69,704 images discovered on the seized computers, thumb and hard drives were child pornography but argued there was no evidence Lee knowingly possessed, received or produced it, according to the Centre Daily Times.
The defense introduced evidence that others had access to the computers and thumb drives. “Don’t let disgusting pictures cloud your mind,” he told jurors in his closing argument.
Rude said after the verdict he believes the pornographic pictures shown by the prosecution had an effect on jurors.
The times reported that the child pornography was found on at least five password-protected devices along with sexually explicit narratives, she said.
Lee took videos in 2005 and 2006 at the museum of boys then 14 and 15 years old, cropped them to focus on the genital area and included them in narratives, the prosecutor alleged.
There was no dispute Lee, a musician and former Harris Township supervisor, took the videos but Rude argued there was no evidence his client did anything more, according to the Times report.
Lee is facing up to 30 years in prison, federal officials said.
Judge Brann has not scheduled a sentencing date for Lee. Lee remains in custody, according to officials.