BOARD PREZ BUSTED FOR CHILD PORN
Board president faces slew of child porn charges
MEDIA COURTHOUSE » Radnor Township Board of Commissioners President Philip Ahr was charged Wednesday with numerous counts related to the possession and distribution of child pornography, including images of infants, prosecutors announced late Wednesday morning.
Ahr, 66, of the 100 block of Meredith Avenue, is facing “possession and distribution charges for images that depict children as infants engaged in sex acts with adults,” according to the Delaware County District Attorney’s office.
The charges include dissemination of photos or film of child sex acts, attempted dissemination of photos or film showing child sex acts, possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communication facility.
Ahr was arraigned in front of Magisterial District Judge David Lang on 130 counts. Ahr said nothing as he entered the district court on West Chester Pike in Newtown Square. He was released on 10 percent of $100,000 bail. Neither Ahr nor his attorney, Mark Much, offered comment.
Ahr is a Democrat who represents the township’s Seventh Ward. Elected in 2015, he became board president in early 2016. Married with two grown sons, according to his biography on the township website, he is a marketing director at a firm in Malvern. He graduated from Notre Dame University with a management degree.
A bid to remove him as commissioners president failed in a party-line board
“Once we searched the computer … we came to the conclusion that there were over 500 files which were either pictures and/or video (of suspected child pornography).”
— D.A. Jack Whelan
vote on Monday night.
According to the criminal complaint, Ahr’s use of child pornography came to light though Yahoo when the company identified 25 suspected images through a Yahoo Messenger account sokrateaze404@yahoo.com. A second email account attached to the address was one later identified as Ahr’s IP address.
Among the images were of female children between the ages of 6 to 12 preforming sex acts with adults. Others were of girls between the ages of 8 and 12 inserting object into themselves and one of an adult male having intercourse with a child between the ages of 6 to 10.
The IP address was traced back to Ahr’s home in Radnor. Delaware County investigators executed a search warrant at Ahr’s home on Sept. 21.
Ahr told investigators that he created the email address several years ago for things he did not want his name associated with.
“He was somewhat evasive in giving us all the information, but we continued to interview him and he admitted to using certain names on the Internet, trading under ‘daddyx,’ ‘daddyxx’ in chat rooms,” said D.A. Jack Whelan. “Once we searched the computer … we came to the conclusion that there were over 500 files which were either pictures and/or video (of suspected child pornography).”
The affidavit of probable cause also said Ahr was sexting though Yahoo Messenger with an unknown person that included sexual talk about children.
Ahr also admitted to searching the terms “daddy daughter,” “young” and “teen” on the Internet.
According to the affidavit, Ahr said that while he was chatting with an unknown person that involved sexual talk about children Ahr claimed that the unknown person sent him about one dozen images of girls he estimated to be about 13 years old.
Ahr is also alleged by prosecutors to have told them that while he was chatting with the first person he was also using Yahoo Messenger to chat with a second person. Those conversations also included sexual chats about children.
He then admitted to having sent and received images to and from this second person.
When asked by prosecutors about the definition of child pornography, Ahr is alleged to have told them that he “knew that naked images and/or videos of children under the age of 18 years of age were illegal. Ahr said, ‘Obviously I knew the images were illegal and don’t know how I could say otherwise,’” according to the criminal complaint.
Following a forensic examination of his computer equipment taken during the search of his home, several more images were found. On one computer eight images of naked children between the ages of 4 and 12 were found and one of a 3 to 5-year-old girl preforming oral sex on an adult male.
On a second computer, a video over 16 minutes long shows an adult female preforming oral sex on a girl 6 to 10 years of age.
There were also two Internet chart user names of Daddy X and Daddy XX that were believed to belong to Ahr found on one of his computers. Those chatrooms include ones called “Pedomoms,” “dad & daughter sex,” “mom & daughter sex” and “littleboy sex chat.”
“The forensic exam also uncovered thousands of chats between Ahr (as “Daddy X and Daddy XX”) and numerous other users. All of the chats were sexual in nature, and most involved child sexual abuse. The messages date back to at least 2013, and show that
he was involved in the sexual exploitation of children for years,” according to the affidavit.
The allegations also include one case on Nov. 12, 2013 where Ahr, using the name Daddy X to another user, sent that user images. The other user acknowledged receiving the images and Ahr responded by saying, “thatr ios GOOD – so young,” according to the criminal complaint.
The criminal complaint continues with numerus other examples of alleged conversations between Ahr and other users involving sex acts with children that may have been as young as 2 years of age. Other images included a male touching a female child of about 2 years of age.
“An analysis of all the web addresses that were able to be accessed identified over 500 images and videos of child pornography, namely minor children being sexually abused by adult males and females through oral, vaginal and anal sex, digital penetration, and children posed in sexually explicit positions. Ahr’s collection was mainly comprised of prepubescent girls under the age of 10 years, but also included infants and toddlers. A portion of the images and videos depicted sado masochistic sexual abuse, and children being sexually abused by animals,” according to the affidavit.
Whelan said the affidavit detailed 10 such chat conversations but investigators had found more. Whelan said his office is still investigating those chats and the identities of the other people involved. His office may glean more information from outstanding subpoenas to Internet providers, he said.
Whelan added that he could not say if the children were local but the investigation is continuing.
“It was mixed sexes, and some unfortunately contained bestiality and severe sexual abuse, as I would deem it, based on the interaction of adults with children,” said Whelan. “The ages of these children is particularly disturbing, anywhere from infants to 2 to 4, from 3 to 6 and all those different categories, very disturbing.”
When contact by email, Board of Commissioners Vice President Elaine Paul Schaefer responded: “I am devastated and disturbed by the arrest of Commissioner Ahr, as is our entire community. It is important to remember, however, that these allegations have nothing to do with the township, the Radnor community or the board of commissioners. They involve a single individual and his personal behavior. The board of commissioners will continue to conduct the important business of the Township without interruption.”
As far as his position on the board, Schaefer said it is her understanding “that pursuant to our Home Rule Charter, Commissioner Ahr retains his position on the board unless and until he resigns or upon petition and a finding of forfeiture of office by a Pennsylvania court based upon certain specified grounds, one of which is the conviction of a felony.”
First Ward Commissioner Jim Higgins said the charges came as “a total shock” and that he would not suspect Ahr would be involved in child pornography. Higgins said he is giving Ahr the benefit of the doubt and noted he is innocent until proven guilty.
“I’m very dismayed,” said Higgins. “If the charges are true, it’s a very serious matter. I sincerely hope they’re not true, that somehow this is a mistake. If it’s not a mistake, I can’t understand it. Phil is a good person, I’ve known him for a number of years. If it is true, I think it’s a total aberration. The rest of his life is fine and in order.”
Higgins noted the three Republican board members attempted to pass a motion Monday declaring a vacancy for president, which was defeated on a 3-3 vote. He said the motion was improper because Ahr had not been charged at that time, but expects the issue will be revisited at the Oct. 23 meeting.
“We’ll have to evaluate the situation between now and our next meeting … and then decide if we want to declare the position vacant and elect a new president,” he said.
Fifth Ward Commissioner John Nagle said he expects the Oct. 23 meeting will be “painful.”
“I envision members of the public getting up and calling for his resignation,” said Nagle. “We have a couple of dedicated people that like to attack everybody and everything. And it’s election season, so yeah, I’m sure it’s going to be painful.”
Both Higgins and Nagle are Democrats.
In recent months the township has seen former commissioner William Spingler, also a Democrat, convicted on two counts of indecent assault on a person with a mental disability in June, after he admitted to touching the breasts of a 103-yearold woman at the Genesis Healthcare Wayne Center.
“This is the action, really, of a single guy and no reflection on the board at all,” said Nagle of Ahr’s charges. “The unfortunate thing is, and you know the way public opinion works, is Radnor Township is now going to be painted with this brush. That’s the way these things work.”
Nagle also said he was shocked by the charges. Though he only had dealings with Ahr as an associate and not a friend, he said there was nothing to indicate any criminal behavior on Ahr’s part.
“In fact, I think his record of service to the community is exemplary, that’s why we are all incredibly surprised by the whole thing,” said Nagle. “I’ve never seen or heard anything from him – I can think of a lot of other people who wouldn’t have surprised me, but him? A total surprise. Especially with his involvement in church and other things. It just takes your breath away.”
Commissioner Luke Clark said via email, “Ahr’s actions do not reflect the values of Radnor Township or the board of commissioners. I hope he decides to do what is in the best interest of the township and resign at this point so the township and the board can move forward with electing a new president and a replacement for Ward 7 Commissioner because that Ward has been unrepresented at the last two meetings. As a father of three young children I am completely horrified, disturbed and angry about these charges.”
Whelan said the approach to this investigation did not change because Ahr is a public official, but he personally thinks that adds an aggravating factor to the case.
“When you are a public official, when you put your hand on the bible and you swear to uphold and support the Constitution of the United States and the constitution of the commonwealth, and you swear and affirm to uphold the laws of the township of Radnor, I think it creates an aggravated situation when you let your constituents down … It is extremely disappointing and disheartening when you see it, and especially so when it becomes an elected official.”