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Thomas Harold Morgan, professional clown, arrested on child porn charge, Ark. police say
Image from Sondance the Clown website (left) and undated photo of Thomas Harold Morgan.
/ http://www.sondance.net; KFSM-TV(CBS) FORT SMITH, Ark. - Fort Smith police arrested professional clown Thomas Harold Morgan on child pornography charges Wednesday morning in western Arkansas, CBS affiliate KFSM-TV reports.
Pictures: Ark. clown arrested for child porn
Police spokesman Cpl. Steven Dooly said police arrested the 47-year-old Morgan after an online investigation. Morgan, who also goes by the name of "Sondance the Clown," was "off duty" at the time of his arrest.
Dooly said Fort Smith Police Department's computer forensic team detected someone downloading child pornography through a well-known internet file-sharing network. They immediately tracked the Internet Service Provider account to Morgan. Investigators obtained a search warrant for Morgan's address and seized several items of digital media, police said. Police then arrested him on a count of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.
"There was enough material on there that it would take them at least two or three weeks to go through all of it so there's a lot of images," said Dooly.
According to Morgan's website, he performs at parties and events in the area. He claims his educational background is in childhood development.
Police said they do not believe Morgan was uploading any images and so far no victims have come forward with allegations about him.
Morgan could face additional charges, police said. He is now being held at the Sebastian County Adult Detention Center without bond.
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