Child porn charges

KERMIT The publisher of the Winkler County News was arrested about 4 p.m. Thursday outside his home in Kermit on a federal charge of possession of child pornography that officials say depicted children "of tender years."

FBI supervisory special agent Matt Espenshade said the Kermit Police Department arrested Richard "Rick" Ellsworth McLaughlin on a federal arrest warrant after the FBI and local law enforcement uncovered "enough evidence to obtain the warrant."

"We found electronic media that contained child pornography," Espenshade said, noting that the children in the images were pre-pubescent.

McLaughlin, 61, a former employee of the Odessa American, was the subject of a federal investigation for several months, Espenshade said.

Espenshade said the FBI continues to go through evidence seized from the Winkler County News office and McLaughlin's home in Kermit.

The Texas Press Association lists McLaughlin as publisher of the Winkler County News despite some reports calling him the editor.

A man, who would only identify himself as Brad, said he was answering the phone Thursday for the Winkler County News. He would not confirm McLaughlin's title but did say there would be no interruption in the weekly publication's distribution and that the FBI had not seized all of the newspaper's computers. He declined further comment.

Kermit Police Chief Scott Williams said the FBI contacted the police department Thursday afternoon to serve a federal arrest warrant to McLaughlin.

Williams said several Kermit residents he's talked with have expressed shock in finding out about the arrest.

"We're a small community," Williams said. "Something like this doesn't happen every day."

Following his arrest, McLaughlin was taken to Midland for "safekeeping," Espenshade said.

In the coming days, Espenshade said, McLaughlin is expected to go before a federal magistrate where a possible bond could be decided.

The FBI received complaints about McLaughlin, Espenshade said, noting the details of how the bureau was tipped off about McLaughlin remains in a sealed federal search warrant.