LA City Commissioner Blames Possession Of Child Porn On His Medical Condition

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — A Los Angeles City Commissioner, who resigned in the midst of a child porn investigation, was expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday afternoon.

Al Abrams, 63, faces five counts of distributing child pornography, two counts of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.

CBS2 Investigative Reporter David Goldstein was outside his house Wednesday as authorities took him into custody.

Abrams resigned in early August as president of the seven-member Board of Neighborhood Commissioners, which oversees the neighborhood councils that provide a link between local communities and Los Angeles City Hall.

He had served on the board since 2008, owns a public relations firm and has worked on ballot measures in Agoura Hills, Westlake Village and Walnut Creek.

According to an affidavit obtained exclusively by CBS2, an undercover agent allegedly downloaded pictures from a file sharing website frequented by pedophiles. The account name was "BoyWonderUSA." Hundreds of pictures containing sexually explicit images of children, some as young as 4 years old engaged in sexual acts.

The account was traced back to Abrams' home in Tarzana.

After his house was searched, he told CBS2 that a now-excised growth on his spine left him with a split personality that compelled him to do what normally would have been out of character.

Goldstein asked Abrams, "You just found out today that your medical condition triggered you to look at kiddie porn of toddlers as young as four?" Abrams says, "That's correct."

Goldstein pressed the point. "Just today? Four days after the FBI raided your house and you're under investigation. Isn't that a little suspicious?" Abrams replied, "No, it's a very natural thing to find out what's going on."

Goldstein asked Abrams if he went by the name "BoyWonderUSA." And he didn't deny it.

"It is what my split personality decided to do. That's what happens when you have tumors," Abrams said.

He asked Abrams if he remembered watching it. Abrams replied, "I was watching myself from a distance, watching it."

Goldstein wanted to know if Abrams believes he did anything he should serve jail time over. "No, why. I'm not a criminal," explained Abrams.

If convicted of all counts, Abrams could face up to 150 years in prison.