Child Pornography Also Found in Simi Search : Illegal Explosives Seized, Suspect Held

Simi Valley police searched a storage area for pornography Wednesday and discovered enough of an illegal explosive to level a high-rise building, leading to the arrest of a local man, officials said.

John Donald Ommondson, 43, was arrested on suspicion of possessing the illegal explosive and suspicion of child molestation, Simi Valley Police Sgt. Tony Harper said. Pornographic movies of children were also found in the search, Harper said.

Harper said the bomb squad of the Ventura County Sheriff’s Department called the 30 pounds of C-4 plastic explosive removed from the site the largest such seizure ever made in Ventura County.

Found along with the explosive were large quantities of ammunition, detonating cords, blasting caps and two land mines, police said.

The storage area on 1st Street was one of a row of garagelike rooms available for rental to the public, Lt. Rick Terborch said. After the morning search there, a police special weapons team arrested Ommondson at his Apricot Road home without incident, Harper said.

He said the investigation began earlier this month when Ommondson’s 16-year-old son filed a complaint alleging that his father had sexually abused him. The storage room was searched to find evidence in the case, Harper said.

Ommondson was still in the custody of Simi Valley police Wednesday evening.