Former USF dean pleads guilty to child porn possession

By Julia Cheever, Bay City News Service

December12, 2006

SAN FRANCISCO (BCN) - A former dean of education at the University of San Francisco pleaded guilty in federal court today to a count of possessing child pornography obtained on the Internet.

William Garner, 66, is expected to be sentenced to five years and three months in prison under a plea agreement.

U.S. District Judge Vaughn Walker, who accepted the guilty plea, will sentence him in San Francisco on March 27. The plea agreement also calls for restitution of $50,000 payable to the San Francisco Child Abuse Prevention Center.

Garner taught at the university from 1979 until he retired in July 2006 and was dean of the School of Education from 1983 to 1987.

University spokesman Gary McDonald said last month that Garner is no longer an employee and that officials at the institution were "shocked and deeply disturbed" at the news of the charges.

U.S. Attorney Kevin Ryan said that in the written plea agreement, Garner admitted to possessing more than 15,000 images of child pornography obtained through the Internet.

The material included pictures of prepubescent minors and images of sadistic, masochistic or violent conduct, Ryan said.

Ryan said after the guilty plea, "This is another example of our ongoing commitment to protect the children in our communities.

"The children depicted in these images are the victims of horrible abuse, and we will vigorously prosecute individuals possessing these materials,' Ryan said.

Garner's attorney, Jeremy Blank, declined to comment after the hearing.

The plea agreement and expected sentence were announced by Ryan's office on Nov. 15, the day that Garner was charged in federal court with one count of possessing child pornography between June 10 and July 12, 2006.

In addition to being a former dean of education, Garner was a co-founder in 1984 of the university's Center for Instruction and Technology, which promotes the use of computers and other technology in the classroom.

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