HOUSTON – A former city official has been arrested on child pornography charges.
Ryan Kelley, 55, the former city administrator in Magnolia, has been charged with four counts of possession of child pornography.
"I can't imagine any person, male or female, having a sexual attraction to children," Montgomery County Precinct 5 Constable David Hill said.
Detectives said they zeroed in on Kelley after he lost his laptop computer.
Investigators said Kelley put his laptop computer on the hood of his car, got distracted and drove away without realizing he didn't put the computer inside his car.
A woman found the laptop in the parking lot of the Magnolia Historical Society last week. Detectives said she turned it on and found sexually-explicit images of young boys and girls. She then turned over the computer to authorities.
Kelley was arrested about 8:30 p.m. Thursday, in the same parking lot where the computer was found, officials said.
Kelley was previously an attorney, but he was disbarred because he did not complete continuing education requirements, according to records obtained by KPRC Local 2.
Kelley worked for the city of Magnolia from January 2008 to July 2010. His employment was terminated when he was arrested during a drunken-driving crackdown, city officials said. Kelley pleaded guilty to a charge of driving while intoxicated, served three days in jail and was required to pay a fine, according to court records.
Investigators said they discovered that Kelley recently moved. They said they planned to get warrants to search that home.
Kelley is being held in the Montgomery County Jail with bond set at $400,000.