Former assistant scoutmaster, middle school coach facing child porn charge
HILLSBOROUGH, N.C. (WTVD) -- A former Orange County assistant scoutmaster is charged with possessing child pornography.
According to a federal indictment, 36-year-old Brian Joseph Burnham received child porn through interstate mail, shipping, or transport between January 2009 and November 2014.
The Orange County Sheriff's Office told ABC11 thousands of images were found on Burnham's hard drive.
Burnham worked with the Occoneechee Council's Boy Scout Troop 845 in Carrboro and led international trips to places like Nepal.
"The behavior included in these allegations runs counter to everything for which the Boy Scouts of America stands. Upon learning of the allegations we took immediate action to insure that this individual was removed from the Scouting program and preclude him from any further participation in the program," said John Akerman, spokesperson for the Boy Scouts of America, in a released statement.
"The safety of our youth members is of paramount importance and we seek to prevent child abuse through a comprehensive program of education on the subject, the chartered organization leader selection process, criminal background and other checks, policies and procedures to serve as barriers to abuse and the prompt mandatory reporting of any allegation or suspicion of abuse."
Burnham was also a baseball coach at Smith Middle School in Chapel Hill.
If convicted, he could face five to 20 years in prison.
