Lakewood Man Charged With Child Pornography

A Lakewood City Council gadfly was arrested and charged in Pierce County Superior Court with possession of child pornography, according to charging documents.

Pierce County prosecutors charged Fredric Cornell, 66, on Thursday with four counts of first degree child pornography. Cornell, a regular critic of city leaders who often appears at meetings dressed like an Anglican priest, was arraigned on Thursday and awaits a pretrial conference scheduled for May 10.

According to Lakewood police, officers discovered the images on Wednesday after a computer technician hired by Cornell's estranged wife discovered them while searching for financial records.

The arrest isn't Cornell's first brush with the law. City leaders have contended that the Lakewood man has a criminal history and past sexual misconduct. In late January, he was charged with  for allegedly kicking and pushing his wife Sarah Cornell, according to a police report.

Cornell has been a fixture at city council meetings and often makes extensive requests for public documents.