Children's museum exec faces porn charges

WASHINGTON, Nov. 7 (UPI) -- Police have charged the chief operating officer of the National Children's Museum in Washington with distributing child pornography over the Internet.

Robert Singer, 49, was arrested at his home in Fall's Church, Va., Tuesday and charged with five counts of distributing child pornography in interstate commerce, CNN reported.

In a statement, U.S. Attorney Michael Garcia of the Southern District of New York said pornographic images, e-mail and chat room discussions were held between August and September between Singer and an undercover detective for the New York Police Department.

Singer apparently thought he was communicating with a 12-year-old girl and her 33-year-old mother and posed himself as a 15-year-old boy, Garcia said.

If convicted on each count, Singer would face a sentence of up to 140 years in prison, prosecutors said.

The museum has been closed to the public since 2004 and a new facility being built is scheduled to open in 2012.