Philip Todd Wilson, a 54-year-old principal at Clark County Area Technology Center in Kentucky, has been busted on child pornography charges. According to Kentucky State Police, Wilson was charged with 15 counts each of distributing and possessing child porn.
The news comes a decade after Wilson had banned books over “soft pornography” and homosexual content, according to the Louisville Courier-Journal.
Wilson is no longer employed by the school.
“The Clark County Public School System is shocked and dismayed over the recent arrest and allegations concerning the principal of the Area Technology Center, operated by the Kentucky Department of Education, Office of Career and Technical Education and housed in our facilities,” a statement from Clark County Public Schools read. “The Clark County Public School System continues to work with law enforcement in the course of their investigation in this matter.”
When Wilson previously made headlines, he was the principal at Montgomery County High School. According to the Lexington Herald-Leader, it was there that he made headlines for banning books that would “contain foul language and cover topics — including sex, child abuse, suicide and drug abuse — unsuited for discussion in coed high school classes.”
The books in question were works like “The Canterbury Tales” and “Beowulf.”
Jo Knowles, who was the other of “Lessons from a Dead Girl”, commented on the irony of Wilson’s arrest. Her book was one of those banned from classrooms at Montgomery County High School and she was quick to share her thoughts on Facebook after news of Wilson’s charges surfaced.
“I was a very new author at the time all this happened and the press coverage was overwhelming. I was horrified by the accusations he and the superintendent made. And heartbroken for the brave teacher, Risha Allen Mullins who stood up for our books and faced so much unfair criticism,” Knowles wrote in her post.
“I am having a lot of feelings right now. As I said to some friends last night when I got the news, ‘You can’t make this shit up.'”
Following his arrest on the child pornography charges, Wilson was booked into the Clark County Detention Center on $25,000 bond. He has since been released from behind bars.
Wilson plead not guilty to all of the charges, according to the Winchester Sun.