MS - Former police officer (Lee Leonard) accused in child porn case

Original Article

11/09/2010

By MARGARET BAKER

OCEAN SPRINGS — A former Ocean Springs police officer was arrested Tuesday on six counts of possession of child pornography on a police-issued computer, Jackson County Sheriff Mike Byrd said.

Lee Leonard, 46, was arrested at his home on Charlie Hudson Road in north Escatawpa Tuesday evening, Byrd said. Sheriff’s investigators also seized his home computer for further analysis. If additional images of children engaged in sex acts are found on that computer, the sheriff said additional charge could follow.

“This is no reflection on the Ocean Springs Police Department,” Byrd said, adding that Ocean Springs police officers first alerted deputies of possible criminal wrongdoing.

Leonard is the second Ocean Springs police officer accused of possession of child pornography on his police-issued computer.

Steven Futral, the Police Department’s former public information officer, was arrested in June and is awaiting trial on numerous counts of child pornography possession.

Futral also was accused of having child pornography on his home computer.

In both cases, investigators used technology available through Attorney General Jim Hood’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.

Ocean Springs Deputy Chief Mark Dunston said his office first initiated a probe after the department’s computer system detected possible inappropriate activity on Leonard’s computer. When Leonard was told he was needed for questioning, Dunston said he abruptly resigned.

“He dropped off his stuff ... and a resignation letter in the parking lot at night,” Dunston said. Leonard resigned on Oct. 14.

Ocean Springs police later contacted the Sheriff’s Department to investigate further. Police Capt. Mike Sweeney assisted deputies in the investigation, Dunston said.

Leonard worked for the Ocean Springs Police Department for about three years, Dunston said. He also worked in the past as patrol deputy at the Jackson County Sheriff’s Department.

Leonard remained jailed Tuesday night pending a bond hearing.

If convicted, he could go to prison for 40 years on each count.

Since Futral’s arrest earlier this year, Dunston said the department has been “especially vigilant” in tracking any possible illegal or improper use of city-owned computers.

In both cases, the officers are accused of downloading images and movies of minors engaged in sex acts from websites. Each count reflects multiple images downloaded from each individual website.