La Mesa Man Suspected of Making Child Porno Films

A 51-year-old electrician and volunteer counselor at Juvenile Hall has been arrested on suspicion of producing child-pornography films, sheriff’s detectives announced Monday at a press conference.

Michael Dellman Tobin of La Mesa is alleged to have employed at least four San Diego girls and boys from the ages of 14 to 16 for making child pornographic videotapes, said Ken Williams, a detective with the sheriff’s child-abuse/sex-crimes unit. Tobin was arrested Saturday evening during a stakeout at a fast-food restaurant in the Casa de Oro area after the mother of one of the children contacted deputies, he said.

A search of Tobin’s home, in the 8800 block of Fabienne Way, revealed more than 400 videotapes and many electronic video cameras and color and sound mixers, Williams said. One of the tapes viewed by detectives showed teen-age boys and girls engaging in explicit sex, he said.

Review of the tapes is continuing, Williams said.

Tobin was booked into County Jail Saturday on suspicion of child molestation, sexual exploitation of a child and one contributing to the delinquency of a child. He was released Sunday night on $26,500 bail, Williams said. Arraignment is scheduled for next week, he said.

According to three of the four identified children, the pornography ring has been going on for several months, Williams said. In statements to detectives, the teen-agers said they were paid $40 to $400 for participating in the filming, some of which was done in Tobin’s motor home in different locations in the county, he said.

Detectives learned of the filming Saturday from the mother of one of the girls, Williams said. She contacted sheriff’s deputies after conducting an investigation of her own and talking with one of her daughter’s girlfriends, Williams said.

Besides his electrician’s job, Tobin has worked as a counselor since last October for Volunteers in Probation, a program at Juvenile Hall. Tobin did not meet any of the children in the films through Juvenile Hall, Williams said.

Tobin told the children that he would distribute the videos commercially, but sheriff’s deputies have found no evidence to support that, Williams said.

Sheriff’s detectives are requesting that anyone with information regarding this case call the child abuse unit at 692-8000 or sheriff’s communications department at 565-5200.