A History professor in Villanova University faces hundred counts of child pornography-related charges on Thursday after the university reported him to the local authorities for suspicious computer activity. Federal authorities are now investigating him over allegations of child porn possession on his personal computer.
Christopher Haas, 60, was arrested and has been charged with a total of 415 counts of "sexual abuse of children and possession of an instrument of crime", according to NBC News Philadelphia. Haas, who was an associate professor in history and classical studies department at the Villanova University, was arrested after university officials reported him, for "suspicious" internet activity.
St. Augustine Center for the Liberal Arts revealed Haas accessed online child porn sites from the center's computer and has in possession of more than 400 images containing child pornography. Local authorities also found that the professor is also on federal probe by the Department of Homeland Security in connection to child pornography, accessing it from his personal computer since 2012, NJ True Jersey reported.
An arrest warrant was issued for Haas on March 25. He was taken into custody Monday and remanded to the Delaware County Prison. On Thursday, the professor waived his right to a preliminary trial in Delaware County, according to CBS News. He was also remanded to the said county prison for a psychological evaluation after he was arraigned with bail of $50,000.
Haas has been teaching in Villanova University since 1988 and was tenured in 1995 as an associate professor. He was removed from all of his teaching duties and is not permitted to have contact with any students.
Villanova officials said Thursday that they were unaware of the federal investigation until last week. The hundred counts of charges related to child pornography and the other are all tied to the 2012 federal probe. No charges against Haas were ever brought over the suspicious activity in Villanova as the investigation is still ongoing.
