Attorney: Images of Children 'Might Not Be Pornography'

No plea was entered during the first court appearance for a local swim instructor charged with possession of child pornography last week, according to court records. An attorney for the accused told Patch the images of children might not be pornography.

Corey MacDonald, 28, of 24 Victoria St., Windsor, was arrested by Simsbury Police and turned over to West Hartford Police on March 6. He was charged with one count of possession of child pornography. MacDonald appeared in court on March 14 but did not enter a plea.

"We need to see the evidence first," MacDonald's attorney, William T. Gerace told Patch. "I haven't seen anything yet."

Gerace said it remains unclear whether the images MacDonald has on the computer can be considered pornography.

"What he told police was that these are pictures that you might take at a nude beach," Gerace said.

In early March, state police found 13 images of child pornography on MacDonald's computers. The images were discovered after MacDonald "alluded to the possibility of possession of child pornography" during an interview with police about his use of a hidden camera in 2009 to film his female roommate in the bathroom.

MacDonald was working at the SwimCenter at Westminster School, where he manages the pool for Simsbury-based Aquatics for Living, at the time of his arrest on March 6, according to Simsbury Police.

Dave Rowland, owner of Aquatics for Living, which manages swimming pool facilities in Simsbury and West Hartford, confirmed for Patch that MacDonald instructed swim classes for local children at both locations. Rowland told Patch that MacDonald and other staff members "never have unsupervised access to any of the swimmers," and added that MacDonald had been "well-liked" as an instructor.

In a recent email, Rowland told Patch "at the time Corey was hired his backrground check was completely clean. We perform backround checks of all employees, and have never hired an individual with a criminal background. Corey's case was unique, as he was a long-standing employee with a criminal background that arose after his initial screening with our companies."

MacDonald's employment with Aquatics for Living ended following his arrest on March 6, 2013.

He was released from custody on a $5,000 professional surety bond and will make a second appearance in court on April 16.