MELBOURNE, Fla. – George White worked in a profession that preaches never becoming the story yourself, but now the former reporter is a suspect in a child pornography investigation.
Melbourne police said that back in August, a plumber working at White’s home noticed child pornography on White’s computer screen.
Police said investigators found more than 900 images of children and White, 63, admitted to it, telling detectives he’s viewed images of children for the last 14 years.
“The fact that this was going on, allegedly, for so long is even more startling,” journalist Chris Bonanno said.
[TRENDING: Become a News 6 Insider]
A decade ago, Bonanno said he edited White’s stories at Florida Today, and more recently they were both reporters for the Melbourne Beachsider.
“If you mention the name George White to someone who’s in the know here, they say he’s a good reporter,” Bonanno, White’s ex-coworker, said. “George didn’t come across as someone who I would ever imagine doing something like this.”
Another former Florida Today reporter told News 6 that White frequently photographed events including kids and school activities.
Police said detectives believe White downloaded the images from the Internet and has no connection to the victims.
Judge Judy Atkin set White’s bond at $10,000 on each of his 108 felony counts — totaling $1,080,000. Conditions of his bond include no contact with children.
Get today’s headlines in minutes with Your Florida Daily: