Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: 03/14/08

Contact person(s):

Media Coordinator, Donna Edwards - 565-3099 Media Spokesperson, Assistant District Attorney Christine M. Cook

Santa Rosa, Sonoma County, California

MARIN COUNTY SCHOOL SUPERINTENDENT CRAIG LEE PLED GUILTY
TO POSSESSING CHILD PORNOGRAPHY

District Attorney Stephan Passalacqua announced that on March 11, 2008, Craig Benedict Lee, a former Lagunitas School Superintendent, pled guilty to possessing thirteen photographs depicting children in a sexual manner, a violation of Penal Code section 311.11(a).

In 2007, Mr. Lee, a fifty-three-year-old Petaluma resident, was the Superintendent of Lagunitas School District in Marin County. He stored a box in his garage that contained photos of children that were downloaded from the internet. On April 10, 2007 Heidi Rogers, his live-in girlfriend, found the box while cleaning out the garage. When she confronted Mr. Lee about her discovery, a struggle ensued over the box. The police were called. Petaluma Police Department Officer Paul Acornero responded and recovered the box. Petaluma Police Department Detective Paul Gilman found thirteen pictures depicting children posed in a sexual manner in the box.

The District Attorney’s Office filed thirteen separate felony charges alleging possession for each of the thirteen images depicting children in a sexual manner. Misdemeanor charges were also filed regarding the domestic violence that arose from the struggle over the box. After the pornography charges were filed, the law changed to allow only a single charge of possession, regardless of how many images were possessed. Consequently, the People amended the complaint to a single felony charge alleging that Mr. Lee unlawfully possessed thirteen images depicting children in a sexual manner. The misdemeanor charges were dismissed as part of the negotiated disposition, however the court may take that conduct into account for the purpose of sentencing. No promises were made regarding Mr. Lee’s sentence at the time of the plea.

Mr. Lee could be sentenced to a maximum term of three years in prison. Mr. Lee will be required to register as a sex offender for the rest of his life under Penal Code section 290. Mr. Lee is scheduled to be sentenced on June 30, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. in Department 3.

The case was handled by Deputy District Attorney Marianna Green.