Published: March 01, 2007 10:18 am      

City man charged with child porn

Alleged child pornography and sodomy meant lockup time for one McAlester man.

Richard Schertler, 41, was arrested at a North First Street residence Sunday and has been charged with forcible sodomy and procuring, producing or distributing child pornography, according to the McAlester Police Department.

“Officers were called to the address at about 4:54 p.m. on a report of a possible assault,” said Capt. Shawn Smith, public information officer for MPD. “The reporting party was making allegations that another adult in the residence had sexually assaulted a child.”

Smith said the person who made the report did not live in the residence; he or she was only present during the disturbance.

“The same person provided officers with a videotape,” Smith said. “Based on that, Schertler was arrested for sodomy and child pornography. The investigation is continuing.”

District 18 District Attorney Jim Bob Miller’s office filed charges against Schertler on Monday. His bond has been set at $500,000 and he remains in custody at the Pittsburg County Jail.

Schertler has prior convictions in Arkansas, according to court documents. These include a March 28, 2003, conviction in Logan County for use of a prohibited weapon and Sept. 11, 2003, Sebastian County convictions for possession of a controlled dangerous substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Court documents indicate Schertler received five years probation on the weapons charge and a five-year suspended sentence on the drug charges.

Contact Trevor Dunbar at tdunbar@mcalesternews.com.