Buckey Admits to Having Adult Pornography

Ray Buckey testified Thursday that “nothing improper ever happened at the preschool” but acknowledged at the McMartin molestation trial that he used adult pornography for sexual gratification.

Buckey’s attorney, Danny Davis, brought up the pornography issue during the chief defendant’s second day on the witness stand in the complex marathon trial.

He showed Buckey a series of sexually explicit photographs that had been found during a police search of his parents’ home five years ago, as the sensational case was first breaking.

The 31-year-old defendant said he kept the pictures in his bedroom under the dresser.

‘Somewhat Embarrassing’

“I didn’t want people to see them,” he said. “They’re somewhat embarrassing, I think.”

“What did you use these pictures for?” Davis asked.

“To look at,” Buckey said quietly. “Sexual gratification, masturbation.”

“Did you ever take them to the preschool?” the attorney asked.

“No,” Buckey replied.

He said he never showed the pictures to anyone and thought they were his secret. His father has testified that he knew about the pictures, having found them by accident.

Buckey and his mother, Peggy McMartin Buckey, 62, are charged with 64 counts of child molestation and a shared count of conspiracy stemming from activities at their McMartin Pre-School in Manhattan Beach. Now in its 27th month, their trial is the longest criminal proceeding on record and has cost over $15 million.

Davis, stressing that Buckey’s pictures had nothing to do with child pornography, asked the defendant why he tried to flush them down the toilet when the police arrived.

Buckey said he believed that a Manhattan Beach police investigator, who was pressing the case against him, would “make a big issue about my having adult pornography.”

“I didn’t think she needed any help in fabricating a case against me,” he said.

Specific Children

On Wednesday, Buckey took the stand and said he had never molested children, killed animals or committed other acts alleged by nine child witnesses. In Thursday’s questioning, Davis referred to specific children and allegations.

“Did anything improper happen while she was there?” he asked about one girl’s claims.

“Nothing improper ever happened at the preschool,” Buckey said adamantly.

When asked why he went to work at the family school in 1981, Buckey said he thought he would like to be a preschool teacher.

“Didn’t you see something wrong about a male at the preschool?” Davis asked.

“Not at all. . . “ Buckey said. “I don’t see anything inappropriate about a male working with children.”

Davis asked Buckey to explain a number of items seized from his parents’ home, among them a yellow, long-nozzled hair dryer.

Question Asked

“Did you ever use that at the preschool?” he asked.

“Yes,” Buckey said.

“To molest children?” Davis asked.

“No,” Buckey answered.

“To frighten them?”

“No,” he replied again.

“What did you use it for?” Davis asked.

“To defrost the freezer,” Buckey said.