BATON ROUGE, La. — A professor who's worked at LSU's AgCenter for more than 25 years was arrested Friday after child rape and bestiality videos were found on his office computer hard drive, according to a report from WBRZ.
Criminal charges against Gerald Myers, 61, are also pending in St. Gabriel and New Orleans after related searches there, according to police records.
An investigation began Thursday in East Baton Rouge, when AgCenter officials reported to LSU Police that workers in their Information Technology department had found files on a computer with "names that alarmed them," according to the arrest affidavit.
The file names, which suggested child sexual abuse, caused the IT staff to investigate further. That led to the identification of more than 50 files that "seemed pornographic in nature," the affidavit said.
LSU detectives got search warrants for Myers' office on campus, and for his home and car. They detained Myers about 11 a.m. Friday and searched his office and his car, which was parked on campus.
The search uncovered an encrypted hard drive containing dozens of videos of child porn and child rape. Specialists from the Attorney General's Office Cyber Crime Unit said they had seen some of the videos in previous investigations.
The children ranged from infants to apparent preteens, the affidavit said.
Investigators also found videos of horses, dogs and other animals involved in sexual activity with people, the affidavit said.
Police said they found a small jar of what appeared to be marijuana in Myers' car.
Booking records list Myers' address on Amethyst Street, which is in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans. His family's renovation of the home was featured in a 2011 story in The Times-Picayune.
Myers and his wife also own a house in St. Gabriel.
Myers was booked in East Baton Rouge Parish Friday night with possession of pornography involving juveniles, sexual abuse of an animal and possession of marijuana.
LSU released a statement to WBRZ Saturday morning:
After working with law enforcement, LSU was notified of the arrest of a faculty member in its AgCenter. The faculty member has been placed on administrative leave and is not to return to campus until there is a final determination of the case. Given the serious nature of the accusations, the AgCenter will be working with faculty and staff to ensure any necessary support opportunities are available.
