Ex-Lake Forest official accused of possessing child pornography
A former Lake Forest planning commissioner was arrested after authorities found 160 child pornography videos on his home computer, police announced Monday.
Jerry J. Zechmeister, 61, of Lake Forest, was taken into custody Thursday by the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force, according to a joint statement with the Newport Police Department.
Investigators searched his home in October 2013 and seized three computers and two external hard drives. A forensic examination of the electronics revealed that Zechmeister had been accessing and sharing child pornography videos for seven years, authorities said.
Zechmeister’s case was referred to the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.
He is scheduled to appear July 31 for his arraignment.
For breaking news in Los Angeles and California, follow @VeronicaRochaLA, or email her at veronica.rocha@latimes.com.
More to Read
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
