Former Benton Firefighter Indicted In Child-Porn Case

Thursday, February 21, 2013

A federal grand jury has indicted a former Benton firefighter on two child-pornography charges, according to court documents released Tuesday.

Timothy Ryan Bodkin, 39, was indicted Feb. 6 on charges of receipt and possession of child pornography after state and county authorities found more than 1,000 images of child pornography on his computer, according to a news release from the office of U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Arkansas.

Bodkin pleaded innocent in his first court appearance Tuesday, U.S. Attorney Christopher Thyer said inthe release.

On May 24, an Arkansas State Police agent began tracking an Internet protocol address where pornographic images had been downloaded, Thyer said. Further investigation led the Saline County sheriff’s office to Bodkin’s computer, stored in his locker at the fire station, he said.

Authorities secured search warrants and reviewed items on the laptop computer, where they found the pornographic images, Thyer said.

Benton Fire Chief Bill Ford said Bodkin, who worked for the department for 14 years, resigned upon his arrest in June.

Northwest Arkansas, Pages 9 on 02/21/2013