Sheriff's deputy had big porn collection

SANTA ANA, Calif., April 25 (UPI) -- A Southern California sheriff's investigator who killed himself this month had a large collection of child porn at home, authorities say.

Gerald Stenger III appeared to have made some of the images himself, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported.

Stenger, who lived in Aliso Viejo, shot himself in his unmarked police car a few hours after he was charged with molesting a boy he met through volunteer work. Investigators are trying to determine if he found other victims while working with Little League and programs for at-risk youngsters.

After his suicide, the District Attorney's Office found that Stenger had searched an internal database 400 times when he was promoted to investigator and given access. He only looked for his own name.

He apparently discovered he was about to be charged. If convicted, he might have received a sentence as long as 18 years.

A judge, finding Stenger to be a suicide risk, had issued a warrant for his arrest.