Former Birmingham officer accused of arson faces child porn char - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL.

Former Birmingham officer accused of arson faces child porn charges

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By Melanie Posey - bio | email
Curtis Thornton. Source: Birmingham Police Department Curtis Thornton. Source: Birmingham Police Department

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BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBRC) -

A former Birmingham police officer charged with arson is now also charged with child pornography. Curtis Thornton was arrested Monday on this latest charge.

At this time, Curtis Thornton is still in the Jefferson County county jail, being held on 100,000 bond. This child pornography charge comes less than a year after he was charged with burning down several homes in Jefferson County.

The affidavit filed in Jefferson County court lays out the charge against 27-year-old Thornton.

Officers discovered a laptop computer inside his home that contained images of a person under 17 years old engaged in some sort of sex act. The computer was discovered in 2012 when officers were investigating Thornton on an arson charge.

At that time, Thornton was a Birmingham police officer. He was fired in December 2012.

In May 2012, he was charged with setting fire to homes in Warrior. A few days later, he was charged with arson in connection to a home in Ensley.

Officers obtained a search warrant to check out Thornton's home in Warrior, and that is when the laptop was discovered. After examining its contents, police say they found the pornographic material and brought this most recent charge.

Jason Arnold was a second Birmingham police officer charged with arson. He was also fired from the department in December 2012.

A third man, Anthony Weaver, has also been charged in this case. All three men are scheduled to go on trial March 25, 2013.

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