Radnor Township board chairman faces child porn charges
RADNOR TWP., Pa. (WPVI) -- The chairman of Radnor Township's board of commissioners has been arrested on child porn charges after graphic sexual abuse images involving babies and toddlers were allegedly found on his computers.
Philip Ahr, 66, was charged with child pornography possession and child pornography dissemination, sexual abuse of children, and criminal use of communication facility, the Delaware County District Attorney's Office said Wednesday.
"The ages of these children is particularly disturbing. Anywhere from infants to 2-4 to 3-6, and all in those different categories," said District Attorney Jack Whelan. "Very disturbing."
"A portion of the images and videos depicted sadomasochistic sexual abuse, and children being sexually abused by animals," the D.A.'s office noted in a news release issued Wednesday morning.
Authorities said the investigation began in late August after they received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that Ahr uploaded and shared child pornography.
According to the D.A.'s office, on September 21, investigators executed a search warrant on Ahr's Bryn Mawr home.
Ahr told investigators he used Yahoo Messenger to sext with unknown individuals, which involved sexual talk about children, the D.A.'s office said.
According to officials, Ahr told detectives that during one of these conversations, an unknown person sent him about a dozen child pornography images of girls who Ahr estimated to be approximately 13-years-old.
Officials said Ahr admitted to detectives that he sent and received images of child porn to and from an individual he was chatting with.
According to authorities, Ahr stated, "obviously I knew the images were illegal and don't know how I could say otherwise."
During the search of his home, police confiscated a desktop and laptop computer.
Authorities said a forensic examination of the hard drives recovered video and graphic images mainly comprised of prepubescent girls under the age of 10, but also infants and toddlers. Additionally, more than 1,000 web links to pornographic images, some including child pornography, were located as a result of the examination.
Whelan said in a statement: " As an elected individual and Chairman of Radnor Board of Commissioners, Mr. Ahr took an oath to serve and protect the residents, and for that reason, we hold him to a higher standard of conduct."
Ahr's attorney told Action News earlier Wednesday that he had just received the criminal complaint and did not offer any further comment.
At a news conference on Wednesday evening, the commissioners discussed removing Ahr from the board.
"I made a formal request of Commissioner Ahr to resign from his position on the board. If that does not happen by the end of the week, I will take action to call a special meeting so that we can remove him," said Commissioner Elaine Schaefer.
Ahr had no comment leaving the county detectives office. Ahr's attorney told Action News that he had just received the criminal complaint and did not offer any further comment.
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