INDIANAPOLIS — A former Butler University professor claims he was “repulsed” by the images of child pornography that he eventually admitted to viewing. According to police, the professor said he sought out the illicit material when he was tired and depressed, commenting on having a “curiosity” toward it.
Police have charged Tiberiu Popa with 10 counts of possession of child pornography, each a Level 5 felony.
Popa taught at Butler University prior to his arrest and was a professor of philosophy along with being listed as a chairperson for the Department of Philosophy, Religion and Classics. Butler stated in a release, however, that Popa is no longer employed with the university following his alleged crimes.
“We are deeply disturbed by these allegations of such an abhorrent crime,” Butler University said in a statement. The university added that at this time they have no reason to believe that the inappropriate conduct occurred with any minors or students while Popa was on the Butler campus.
According to court documents, investigators were tipped off about the case of possible child pornography possession after a Butler University email linked to Popa was used to upload 24 files of suspected child porn to an online program. Investigators estimated the illicit images featured children in the range of 4 to 6 years of age.
Investigators obtained a search warrant and went to Popa’s Indianapolis home where police found further images of child pornography in a folder on his laptop. Children in these images were estimated to be between the ages of 6 to 10.
According to the court documents, Popa denied viewing or possessing any form of child pornography but later reportedly admitted to investigators of viewing it out of curiosity and having a tendency to seek out the illicit material when he was in a dark state of mind from being depressed. Popa allegedly told police he was “repulsed” by the images despite continuing to view them, struggling with these feelings for the past couple of months.
Popa was arrested on Friday, Jan. 21, and has bonded out of jail.