The long-term meteorologist at an Ohio CBS news station has been accused of possessing child pornography that he has allegedly been collecting for several years.
60-year-old Mike Davis, the Chief Meteorologist with WBNS-TV, has been employed with the news channel for just over 30 years.
A couple of weeks ago, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICACTF) was given information regarding pornography depicting youngsters that Davis allegedly had in his possession.
The Franklin County Sheriff’s Office worked alongside the ICACTF to try to discover whether or not the claims against Davis were valid. Approximately one week into their investigation, the authorities believed they had enough probable cause to obtain a search warrant in order to confiscated Davis’ electronic devices capable of downloading and storing files, and a warrant for his arrest based on the child porn allegations.
The Sheriff’s Office disclosed that the accusations against Davis are based on what was allegedly seen as a “pattern of behavior,” leading to the belief that their suspicions that the man was both downloading and sharing digital files containing illegal sexual content containing children were justifiable. It was also reported that the activity had taken place for a number of years, but the amount of content located was not shared with the public at this time.
Davis was taken into custody at his home on September 5, and he was reported as cooperating with the police while he was detained. He was booked into the Franklin County Jail, and Davis is facing a charge for suspicion of pandering sexually-oriented material involving a minor. He was released after satisfying an ordered bond of $50,000.
TV10 has terminated Davis due to the allegations based on what was cited as a “violation of certain terms of his employment.”
Because of the nature of the charges, information about whether or not Davis had allegedly downloaded random matter from websites on the internet, or if he had any personal relationship with any of the children was not confirmed.
If Davis is convicted of the current charge he could face a maximum sentence of 8 years in prison, in addition to a fine of up to $15,000.
If you or someone you love is suspected of a sexual offense, contact Orange County criminal defense lawyer Staycie R. Sena at (949) 477-8088 for a consultation now.