A state police trooper, qualified as an expert in computer examinations and investigations, testified at the trial of former Coaldale Mayor Richard Corkery on Wednesday in Carbon County Court that he found "thousands" of pornographic photos on a computer used by the defendant at his former workplace.

Trooper Paul R. Iannace, who is in charge of the Northeast Pennsylvania Forensic Task Force which investigates crimes involving the Internet, computers and social networks said it was "no accident" that the photos appeared on the computer and they were not pop-ups as the defense suggested.Corkery, 75, of Coaldale, is charged with 27 counts of child pornography. Nesquehoning Police Chief Sean Smith charged that Corkery viewed the child porn on a computer at radio station WLSH while he was an employee of the station in 2011. When the station management learned of the pornographic material on its computer, Corkery was terminated.Iannace said more than 5,000 images of pornographic material were found on the computer's hard drive, and "not all, but almost all were of young boys," he said.Iannace said the photos were of young boys naked, and in most cases involved in sexual acts.Access to the computerHis investigation determined that most of the viewing of the pornographic sites occurred between 8 and 9 a.m. Monday through Friday.Assistant District Attorney William E. McDonald, said in his opening statement and through the testimony of radio station employees, that Corkery had access to the computer during that time as he prepared to host a show called "The Dutch Trader." The show aired between 9 and 10 a.m. each weekday.Defense attorney Nicholas Quinn of Pottsville, told the jury in his opening statement that Corkery will testify because, "He has nothing to hide."Quinn said testimony will reveal that the computer in question was available for use by all station employees and there was no way to determine who had used the computer at the pornographic sites.He also indicated that the pornographic material were actually pop-ups, which Iannace's testimony disputed.Iannace said his report runs 192 pages in length concerning pornographic material he found. He said none of them were pop-ups.He added that all the pornographic sites he found were in the computer because someone did a search by typing in the name of the site.Iannace also said in response to a question from Quinn, that there was no way he could determine who did the searches and used the computer at the times indicated.Other testimonySmith testified that he began his investigation on April 6, 2011, after receiving an anonymous letter about Corkery viewing pornographic material at the radio station. The letter said in part, "Please look into allegations of child pornography concerning Richard Corkery, the mayor of Coaldale."Smith said the letter also indicated a copy was sent to Coaldale police.Smith said on May 4, 2011, he went to the radio station and met with station manager William Lakatas, who confirmed that Corkery was terminated after he learned of the pornographic material on a station computer.Smith took possession of the computer tower and hard drive, and also two discs of the search history found on the computer and made by Lakatas. He later turned those items over to the state police computer forensic unit.Smith said he made contact with Corkery and went to his home in Coaldale on May 16 along with trooper Scott Sotak and FBI Special Agent John Bates.Smith said he asked the FBI for assistance because this was the first time he was involved in such an investigation of pornography on a computer and needed their expertise.Under cross-examination, Smith said he did not contact the station ownership about the letter he received for about 40 days, but said it was due to other investigations in which he was involved.Found by station managerLakatas said he became aware of "obvious pornographic images" on the computer on March 28, 2011. He spoke with station owners and then called Corkery into his office. He said after speaking with Corkery, he terminated his employment as of March 28.Lakatas admitted he never notified police of his findings on the computer, saying he considered it an internal problem at the station. He also said the computer was not private and that any employee could use it.Dr. Quintin Novinger, a pediatric physician who is associated with the Children's Advocacy Center in Scranton, testified that he viewed 34 images given him by Smith and determined that 27 were of young boys, under the age of 18, and in most cases performing sexual acts.The images Novinger determined were of boys under 18 is the basis for the 27 criminal counts.Bates testified that he accompanied Smith and Sotak to Corkery's home on May 16, 2011.He said he did most of the questioning.Bates said Corkery told him the pornographic images appeared after he Googled the website, Father Jude High School, where the defendant went to school.Bates said Corkery told him every time he typed in the school's name the pornographic sites would appear.Bates said Corkery told him he didn't want to look at any images of anyone under 18.Bates also said at one point during the interview Corkery stated, "All right, I did look at child porn sites. I did search for boy porn sites."Bates also said Corkery denied ever looking at the 34 images that were found by police.The trial resumed this morning, with Quinn presenting his defense.The case could go to the jury later today.Judge Steven R. Serfass is presiding.