Police raided a Lutherville, Md., home looking for child pornography earlier this month, but it was actually in the home next door.
Child pornography images were traced to an IP address at a home in the 1500 block of Norman Avenue, Lutherville-Timonium Patch reported. While their search was coming up empty, the homeowner told police he had given his wireless network password to his neighbor, 61-year-old Richard Wayne Poehlman, because Poehlman had said he couldn’t afford his own, according to charging documents.
Police spoke to Poehlman, who confirmed his neighbor’s story, produced the piece of paper with the password written on it and spoke of an obsession with child pornography, according to court documents.
Police quickly obtained a search and seizure warrant for Poehlman’s home.
They found child pornography on his computer and on other storage devices, according to police report. They also discovered a large-scale marijuana growing operation, which contained 73 lives plants spanning two bedrooms and four other plants in the hallway. Police seized marijuana-growing equipment—including lights, a power supply, timers and bulbs—the 77 plants, a computer, an external hard drive and thumb drive.
Poehlman, who’s facing child pornography and drug charges, was released on $50,000 bail on June 8, a day after he was arrested,Lutherville-Timonium Patch reported
. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 1.
