Former School District employee, Vegas PBS host faces child porn charges

By Rich Coleman

Tuesday, Feb. 15, 2011 | 2:22 p.m.

Henderson police arrested a former Clark County School District employee and Vegas PBS host last week who allegedly had 14 videos on his computer containing child pornography.

Ray Willis, 63, was booked into the Henderson Detention Center on Feb. 10 and is being held in connection with 14 felony counts of possession of child pornography, authorities said.

According to an arrest report, detectives identified in September an Internet protocol address that had previously downloaded files with names indicative of child pornography that were made available to share.

The investigation led detectives to the home of Willis in the 2500 block of Binary Stars Street in the Anthem community. Police served a search warrant at his home Feb. 10 and found a Dell computer allegedly containing the videos, police said.

When interviewed about the computer, Willis told police he only used software to download music. Police then asked him about the child pornography and Willis said the material was accidentally downloaded, according to the arrest report.

Police asked how often he accidentally viewed images or videos depicting child pornography and he said about three or four times a month, authorities said. When asked why he’d continue to use software that would involve “accidental” child pornography downloads, Willis had no answer, the report said.

District officials said Willis was an employee with CCSD from March 20, 1978, to August 3, 2009. He had also worked in the department of public information at the school district.

According to his public LinkedIn profile, Willis also hosted and was executive producer for “Inside Education” on Vegas PBS. He was also a writer and columnist for the Las Vegas Sentinel Voice and Lincoln Echo newspapers, chairman for the Clark County Planning Commission, a member of the Nevada Judicial Selection Commission and a member of the Nevada University System Chancellor’s Minority Roundtable.

His next court date is set for Feb. 22.