Larry Brinkin, veteran San Francisco gay rights advocate, arrested for felony possession of child porn, police say

By: Crimesider Staff
Topics: Daily Blotter

CBS News

(CBS/AP) SAN FRANCISCO - Veteran San Francisco gay rights advocate Larry Brinkin was arrested Friday for felony possession of child pornography, which included images of children as young as a year-old engaging in sex acts with adults, police said.

Investigators said Brinkin, 66, had pornographic images on email attachments that appear to show infants and toddlers performing sex acts on men, reported the San Francisco Chronicle. Representatives of America Online contacted authorities after coming across the email attachments from one of its subscriber's accounts.

The LAPD traced the IP address associated with the account to Brinkin, who resides in San Francisco, according to court records. The LAPD then forwarded the case to San Francisco police, who executed a search warrant Friday and seized computer equipment.

Brinkin was taken into custody Friday night. He spent the night in jail before he was released on bail. The district attorney's office will decide Tuesday whether to file charges.

"We're still reviewing the case," district attorney's spokeswoman Stephanie Ong Stillman said Monday.

Brinkin worked for the San Francisco Human Rights Commission before his retirement in 2010. During his 22-year tenure at the Human Rights Commission, Brinkin was best known for championing equal rights for gays and lesbians, according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

Bevan Dufty, formerly from the Board of Supervisors, said Monday that he was shocked to learn of Brinkin's arrest.

"I have admired and respected his work for the LGBT community," Dufty said. "I respect and am confident that there will be due process."

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