Former Lake View Mayor Now Accused of Producing Child Pornography

The former mayor of a west Alabama town is now accused of creating child pornography as well as possessing thousands of illegal photos and videos.

As the Thread previously reported, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's deputies arrested Paul Anthony Calhoun, the former mayor of the town of Lake View, earlier this month and charged him with a single count of possessing the illegal material.

Those initial arrests are often the tip of the iceberg, as each individual file depicting child pornography can bring a unique felony charge and suspects rarely have just one incriminating file. Court documents filed after the arrest said Calhoun had thousands of such files on electronic devices and hard drives police have found during searches.

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A judge set a $15,000 for the first charge but on Wednesday, 10 new felony charges were filed against Calhoun, who remains in the Tuscaloosa County Jail.

Six counts are for allegedly producing pornography with a minor, and four are for attempting to do the same.

To protect the identity of any alleged victims, this report will only say that in their digital searches investigators discovered illegal and explicit photos which they believe Calhoun took in secret.

More yet felony charges will almost certainly follow for Calhoun as investigators and prosecutors work together to advance the case against him.

Stay connected to the Tuscaloosa Thread for more news coverage from west Alabama and for updates on this situation if any are warranted.