Lawrence Lab researcher allegedly downloaded child porn for 30 years, avoided charges until this week

"He's also allegedly been downloading child sexual abuse material for decades, onto encrypted hard drives on his home and work computer, apparently avoiding detection by either employers or law enforcement until this year. Last September, the California Highway Patrol raided Kolbe's Albany home, the culmination of an investigation that started in January 2024 with a look into secret peer-to-peer networks where child pornography was being shared."

"As police were seizing his electronic devices, Kolbe allegedly admitted that he'd been downloading child sexual abuse material for 30 years, said he'd been storing it on encrypted devices, and told police there was more to be found at his work station, where he researches electronic engineering and condensed matter physics, according to court records. Now Kolbe has been charged with a felony count of possessing at least 600 images of child pornography."

"But if police are to be believed, that's a drastically low number when compared to what was found on his hard drives. An initial search yielded hundreds of thousands of files, a police investigator wrote in court filings. Authorities have been vague on exactly how Kolbe was caught. They say the CHP investigation started into an IP address involved in illegal downloads from Hyphanet, formerly known as Freenet, a peer-to-peer platform that emphasizes its ability to give users anonymous, uncensored internet use."

William Kolbe, 86, worked as a researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory with many co-authored papers. Authorities allege he downloaded child sexual abuse material for decades onto encrypted hard drives at home and work. The California Highway Patrol raided his Albany home in September after an investigation beginning January 2024 into secret peer-to-peer networks where child pornography was shared. Investigators allege Kolbe admitted to 30 years of downloading, to storing files on encrypted devices, and to indicating more material at his workplace where he researches electronic engineering and condensed matter physics. Police reported an initial search found hundreds of thousands of files. Kolbe faces a felony charge for possessing at least 600 images. A lab spokesperson did not comment. Legal filings indicate Kolbe is out of custody and has not yet appeared in court.

Read at The Mercury News