Winfield man charged with 12 counts of child porn

     Suspect reportedly taking 

     pictures near local school

By TRACY ESTES

News Editor

Article contributed by The Journal Record

WINFIELD - A tip from a local resident led authorities to the eventual arrest of a man now being charged with 12 counts of possession of child pornography.

Glenn Allen Fayard, 51, Winfield, is being held in the Marion County Jail in Hamilton pending a $240,000 bond. He was arrested by local authorities while at a relative’s house in Hamilton, according to Winfield Police Chief Bobby Blaylock.

The chief confirmed his department’s initial contact with the accused began shortly after 2 p.m. on Friday, May 8.

“A person called our office and reported a suspicious car near the middle school,’’ said Blaylock, who traveled to the scene himself to investigate the person’s concerns.

By the time he arrived at the scene less than a mile from the police station, the chief said Fayard had stepped away from his vehicle but was still in the same immediate area.

The person first notifying authorities about the suspicious activity informed the police it appeared as if the white male was taking pictures from his driver’s side window.

Blaylock said no camera was recovered inside the car, but a cell phone was found. The suspect agreed to allow Blaylock to closely inspect the cell phone’s camera to see the photographs it contained.

“He appeared to be taking photos of the campus from the roadway,’’ Blaylock said.

“No students or scenes from the school were found, but there were other images detected--images of young females in compromising poses. Again, none of these photos were of local students or any of our local children.’’

Blaylock said it appeared as if the images had been taken in the form of photographs from the Internet.

The chief expressed his concerns with the photos to Fayard, asking him to sign a consent form to allow authorities to conduct a more indepth search of the cell phone.

Winfield Police Investigator Lt. Brett Burleson directed the forensic search of the phone through an independent agency, according to Blaylock.

Numerous other images were eventually discovered on the phone.

The chief said a search warrant was executed at the suspect’s home four days later after the cell phone search had been completed.

Arriving at the suspect’s home on Marion County Road 47, Fayard was not at home.

Authorities conducted the search in his absence.

Numerous materials from the home were confiscated by authorities, including a computer and other devices related to the investigation, said Blaylock.

The equipment is believed to have been used in the production of child pornography.

Fayard was arrested while at the Hamilton residence three days later on May 15.

“What I really want people to realize is that this kind of activity happens here,’’ said Blaylock.

“You do not have to travel to Birmingham or any of the larger cities to find things like this. It is disturbing, but it is local. And I want to stress the diligence of local residents, who are often times the ones who bring this to our attention based on their information--even things which may not seem important at the time.’’

He encouraged residents to remain diligent in assisting his department with information like the phone call which led to this arrest.

Blaylock commended both Burleson and city narcotics investigator Rusty Hulsey for their work on the case while noting his appreciation to the Hamilton Police Department for assisting in the arrest.

(When a defendant is charged with a crime, the charge is merely an accusation until or unless the defendant is proven guilty.)