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A Long Beach man faces federal child pornography charges after the Orange County District Attorney’s Office agreed to dismiss existing charges in order to facilitate a federal prosecution.
Paul Michael Barbour, 33, is accused of using a hidden camera to secretly record young girls in a Cypress College dressing room.
Barbour, who worked for Cypress-based Kids Artistic Review, a dance competition company, was arrested in June after a digital video camera belonging to him was discovered in a dressing room used by teenage girls taking part in a contest at Cypress College. A woman had found a small black camera on the ground in a dressing room in the college’s Theater Arts building the day before detectives with the Cypress Police Department arrested Barbour on June 1.
Upon being interviewed by police, Barbour admitted putting the concealed camera in the dressing room so he could record young girls undressing, police said in a court filing.
Barbour admitted regularly using computers at home to view and download child pornography, police said. In a search of Barbour’s home, police seized computers and hard drives containing photos and videos of children engaging in sexually explicit conduct. There is no evidence currently indicating Barbour produced any of the material, according to investigators. Police also seized drugs, including LSD, meth, and mushrooms.
Though the Orange County District Attorney’s office dismissed the charges, the District Attorney’s office may file new state charges against Barbour if an investigation leads to the identification of any Orange County victims. Conviction of the charge carries a sentence of up to 10 years in federal prison, more than the maximum seven-year term under state law.
Charges of criminal conduct should be taken seriously, and traversed with the help of experienced criminal defense attorneys. If you or a loved one has been charged with criminal conduct, contact the experienced and aggressive criminal defense attorneys at Brower & Associates.
Charges of criminal conduct should be taken seriously, and traversed with the help of experienced criminal defense attorneys. If you or a loved one has been charged with criminal conduct, contact the experienced and aggressive criminal defense attorneys at Brower & Associates.