Public defender chosen for porno teacher

NASHVILLE, April 8 (UPI) -- A Tennessee teacher accused of filming teenagers having sex has selected a public defender to represent him in federal court proceedings.

Louis Jay Levine told U.S. Magistrate Judge John Bryant that he is pleased with Hugh Mundy, an assistant federal public defender, as his counsel, The Tennessean newspaper in Nashville reported.

Levine, 52, read the criminal complaint against him during a 20-minute court appearance. A preliminary hearing in his case is scheduled for Friday, the newspaper said.

The former Nashville and Murfreesboro, Tenn., science teacher was arrested by sex crimes detectives last April on federal charges of producing child pornography.

Police said Levine had an elaborate monitoring system in his home with cameras installed in an outbuilding as well as other rooms in the house. Hundreds of homemade videotapes were allegedly recovered by authorities.

Teens interviewed by police said they didn't know they were being videotaped.

Levine was charged federally under an interstate commerce provision because the video camera and tapes he used were made in Japan, The Tennessean said.