Music teacher arrested for child porn

Howka tribal members, I am praying that none of our tribal members have been in contact with this man, he lived in Santa Ysabel. I just wanteed our parents to be aware of what happened.


Music teacher arrested for child porn
By Kristina Davis, UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER

Originally published December 10, 2009 at 2:04 p.m., updated December 10, 2009 at 2:36 p.m.


Courtesy San Diego Sheriff's Department
Mark Lewis Kinney
NORTH COUNTY — A music instructor was arrested at his home in Santa Ysabel Wednesday on suspicion of child abuse and child pornography, the Sheriff’s Department said Thursday.

Mark Lewis Kinney, 47, who has a music studio in Ramona and teaches private lessons throughout the county, was booked into jail on eight counts of lewd acts with a child, two counts of manufacturing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

Sheriff’s investigators identified multiple female victims under the age of 14 who were also Kinney’s students, said Sgt. Jim Walker. The exact number of victims and their ages was not released.

Walker said the abuse has been going on “for quite sometime.” The parents of one victim reported the allegations to detectives three months ago.

In the 1990s, Kinney toured with major bands, including country star Kenny Chesney, as well as with his own band, Mojave River, Kinney wrote on his Web site. He teaches drums and piano.

A warrant was issued for his arrest on Monday after an investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and the District Attorney’s Office, sheriff’s officials said.

Authorities fear there may be additional victims. Many of his music students have been children.

Anyone with information about Kinney or other victims can call sheriff’s Detective Chris Davis at (858) 974-2310.