Man arrested for allegedly viewing child pornography at library
By Daniel Wolowicz camarillo@theacorn.com

Richard Ballard

A Camarillo man was caught by police Monday afternoon at the Camarillo Library allegedly using one of the library's computers to view child pornography, according to detectives.

Richard Ballard, 57, was arrested following a brief investigation after detectives with the Southern California High Tech Task Force reportedly saw him look at child pornography while at the library on Monday, said Sheriff's Department Detective Kevin Donoghue in a press release.

The Southern California High Tech Task Force partners detectives from both the Sheriff's Department and the district attorney's office.

Donoghue said police found "hundreds, and quite possibly thousands," of pictures of child porn on Ballard's personal computer, taken by police late Monday afternoon from his home in the 100 block of Isabel Avenue.

Donoghue said a search of the trunk of Ballard's 1986 Cadillac El Dorado turned up "many disturbing items," including blankets, ropes and duct tape. A bag of candy was reportedly found in Ballard's glove compartment.

Detectives said Ballard was seen by a library patron on March 31 looking at child pornography while using a computer workstation, but he reportedly left the building before police arrived. Ballard was seen leaving on the security cameras in the earlier incident, police reported, but detectives were unable to identify and arrest him.

Police said when Ballard returned to the library earlier this week, a library worker called detectives, who returned wearing civilian clothes in an attempt to catch him. Ballard was reportedly seen by detectives looking at pornographic images and was then detained.

Ballard is described as 5 feet 7 inches tall, weighing approximately 150 pounds. He has gray hair and gray eyes, police said. At the time of his arrest, police said Ballard was wearing a black baseball cap, a red shirt with blue jeans and sunglasses.

Ballard, who faces multiple child pornography charges, is being held at the Main Jail in lieu of $250,000 bail.

He is due back in court on April 24, court records show.

Police are asking anyone who may have more information about Ballard or this case to call Donoghue at (805) 383-8704.