A computer science teacher at San Leandro High School is accused of having child pornography on campus. Jean Elle reports.
Alameda County prosecutors have filed child porn and burglary charges against a San Leandro High School teacher after an inappropriate photo was displayed during a class he taught.
According to court documents, Richard Styner, 45, a San Leandro resident, was teaching a computer class on April 16 at San Leandro High School, located at 2200 Bancroft Ave., and while showing students how to transfer pictures from electronic devices, he showed a naked picture of himself.
Students in the class range from 14 to 18 years old and are both males and females.
After he reported the incident to school officials as an accident, a search of his computer allegedly turned up 200 pornographic stories and disturbing photos stored in a folder on the device, according to court documents.
School officials contacted police, who opened an investigation, San Leandro police Lt. Randall Brandt said.
Styner has yet to be formally arrested and booked, Brandt said.
One story found on his computer is about a 14-year-old having sex with her brother, accompanied by a purportedly underage girl posing nude, according to a probable cause statement filed with the court.
On May 7, prosecutors charged Styner with possession of child porn in connection with those discovered documents and also one count of residential burglary stemming from an alleged break-in in October 2012, district attorney's office spokesman Eamon O'Connor said.
According to the court documents, Styner also had photographs of a woman and her underwear and other personal items from her dresser.
The photographs were altered to show the woman's face on posed female bodies. The woman is one of Styner's friends and she had given Styner a key to her home for emergencies, court documents show.
Some time in October, he allegedly entered the victim's house while she was out of town and photographed her personal items and took some clothing, prosecutors said.
Brandt said Styner has been notified to appear in court after authorities looked through the evidence.
He is scheduled to appear in court next week, according to the district attorney's office.
San Leandro Unified School District Superintendent Cindy Cathey said the district is "concerned about information shared by San Leandro police" and the allegations against one of its teachers.
She said the district is conducting its own investigation into the incident but declined to elaborate, saying it is a district personnel matter.
