SAN FRANCISCO—The San Francisco Police Department indicated in a press release that on Monday, March 13, authorities from the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit (ICAC) identified and incarcerated a child pornography suspect.
John Morrison, 71, is a film educator who lives on Newton Street in San Francisco’s Crocker Amazon neighborhood. He was arrested after ICAC officials commenced an investigation in November 2016 in an effort to locate an individual who was uploading and distributing footage of explicit child pornography online, reportedly via a messenger application.
Morrison taught screening classes and film production to youth in Main County and served as the educational director for the California Film Institute (CFI). He was arrested at his residence after investigators, with the help of a search warrant, discovered several media devices in Morrison’s home that contained hundreds of videos and images of children engaging in sexual activity with adults.
“We just learned of these very disturbing allegations today,” said CFI founder and Executive Director Mark Fishkin to the SF Gate. “We take this issue extremely seriously and are in the process of gathering all the facts related to the matter. Mr. Morrison is no longer an employee at CFI. We have not received any requests for information from law enforcement about this investigation, but if we do we will, of course, cooperate fully.”
Morrison was booked on counts of possession of child pornography, possession of over 600 files of child pornography, and distribution of child pornography. Footage included images and videos that depicted children under the age of 12 and some that showcased acts of sadism or masochism.
The investigation into Morrison’s involvement in children’s programs is ongoing. The SFPD is asking anyone who may have been victimized or had “suspicious contact” with Morrison to contact the Special Victims Unit at (415) 558-5500.
