Prison counselor arrested for child pornography; former parent to 9-year-old foster child

August 25, 2010

An employee at the San Diego County Jail was arrested there Tuesday on suspicion of distributing child pornography, an FBI agent said Wednesday.

FBI agents and sheriff's deputies arrested Jeffrey Alan Lee, 44, of Oceanside at 10:30 a.m., hours after finding child pornography during a search of his home, Special Agent Darrell Foxworth said.

About 1,500 videos and tens of thousands of still images that appeared to be child pornography were found on 11 computers at Lee's home, he said.

Agents also learned that Lee previously had custody for 18 months of a 9-year-old boy in foster care, Foxworth said.

A fleet of unmarked cars visited the home at 4707 Marblehead Bay Drive at 6:30 a.m., a neighbor said Tuesday. Agents searched the home and the trunk of a sedan parked out front, according to the neighbor. It was not known who owned the car.

According to a complaint the U.S. Attorney's Office filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court, Lee distributed child pornography to undercover agents on May 21 and June 7 using a file-sharing program, Foxworth said.

Lee, who is being held at the federal Metropolitan Correctional Center, appeared at the hearing before a U.S. magistrate, he said.

Sheriff's Department spokeswoman Jan Caldwell said Lee was employed as an intake counselor and spoke with inmates when they entered the downtown San Diego jail.

Lee was placed on leave with pay, she said.

Citing personnel issues, she said she could not say how long Lee had worked for the department or whether pre-employment background checks are required for his position.

Foxworth asked anyone with information about the case to call the FBI at 858-565-1255.

Source: Morgan Cook, "County jail worker accused of distributing child porn," North County Times, August 18, 2010.