Decrying what he termed the “shameful ethics” of the Santa Barbara News-Press, that newspaper's former top editor said he will issue a written demand today for retraction of an article that implies he may be connected to child pornography found on one of the newspaper's computers.

“Today's front-page story smearing me is utterly false, defamatory and malicious...,” said Jerry Roberts, who resigned his post last summer along with several other journalists in a dispute with News-Press owner Wendy P. McCaw over journalistic ethics.

“My family and I are outraged beyond measure at this desperate attempt to ruin my reputation.”

Roberts' comments came during a hastily called press conference Sunday afternoon at the Santa Barbara office of attorney Dennis G. Merenbach.

Roberts was responding to a story Sunday headlined, “News-Press seeks exam of computer used by ex-editor Roberts containing child porn,” with the subheadline, “Roberts denies involvement.”

The story indicates that Ampersand Publishing, the holding company through which McCaw owns the News-Press, has filed papers in Santa Barbara County Superior Court seeking possession of the hard drive from a computer - a Macintosh G4 desktop model - used by Roberts when he worked for the newspaper.

The story quotes unnamed police sources as saying the drive contains 15,000 images of child and adult pornography.

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A hearing on the newspaper's request is scheduled for May 8, according to the News-Press story.

Attempts Sunday to reach the newspaper's spokeswoman for further comment were unsuccessful.

News-Press officials seized the computer and drive last July, shortly after Roberts stepped down. The News-Press in its story claimed the company determined that a significant amount of data had been deleted from the computer, and said it sent the machine to Novato-based DriveSavers for analysis.

It was during that examination that the pornographic images were found, and law-enforcement officials subsequently were notified, according to both the News-Press and Roberts.

Detectives with the Santa Barbara Police Department took possession of the hard drive last summer, and have been spearheading the investigation.

Complicating the probe is the fact that numerous editors and staff members apparently used the computer in question over several years. Moreover, according to a source who spoke only on condition of anonymity, computers in the News-Press newsroom generally were not password-protected, and could easily be accessed from other computers on the company's network. Many were in areas that could be accessed by many people 24 hours a day, the source said.

The computer analysis apparently is unable to determine when the images in question were placed on the computer or who may have done it. Sources told the Times they were found in an “unallocated” area of the disk.

Roberts is fighting a $25 million arbitration claim by McCaw stemming from her allegations that he violated his employment contract with Ampersand through statements he made following his departure.

As part of his response Sunday, Roberts released a sheaf of documents from the arbitration proceedings that he said “will prove that I had nothing to do with material referred to in the story.”

He added that the documents “will also expose Ampersand's malicious machinations behind this vicious effort.”

The documents include declarations from Raul Gil, the News-Press' former head of information technology, suggesting he felt pressured by other Ampersand officials to point the finger at Roberts, even though there was nothing linking the former editor to the pornographic material that was found.

“I make this declaration voluntarily because I believe the News-Press is preparing to use heinous information of dubious source to ruin the reputation of Jerry Roberts, who I believe is an honorable and decent man,” Gil wrote in a declaration signed Jan. 29.

Gil attended Roberts' press conference but declined comment.

Also included in the packet of documents was a report from polygraph examiner Louis Rovner, who said he conducted a polygraph test of Roberts regarding the computer and the pornography.

“Mr. Roberts passed his polygraph test,” Rovner wrote.

Merenbach provided reporters with a copy of a letter from Eric A. Hanson, chief trial deputy with the county District Attorney's Office.

“At this time, based on the present state of the evidence, we will not be conducting any further investigation,” Hanson wrote. “Given that multiple persons had either access to or use of the computer during its several-year existence at the News-Press, there appears to be no single viable suspect.”

Merenbach highlighted a portion of Hanson's letter that noted the images on the hard drive remain “contraband,” and illegal to possess, regardless of whether charges are ever filed in the case.

“The News-Press is attempting to gain possession of contraband,” Merenbach said.

McCaw purchased the News-Press in 2000 from the New York Times Co. for nearly $150 million. Since the dispute with Roberts began last summer, dozens of journalists have resigned or been fired by the paper, which has seen significant losses in circulation during the period.

Tom Bolton can be reached at 739-2229 or tbolton@lompoc

record.com

April 23, 2007