Former TCU professor sentenced for possession of child pornography
FORT WORTH, Texas - A former theology professor and librarian at the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University was sentenced to 10 years in federal prison for possession of child pornography.
The backstory:
Charles Kilby Bellinger, 63, was arrested in October 2024 by the Fort Worth Police Department after TCU’s IT staff reported they had detected pornographic images with file names, including "infant" and "toddler," on Bellinger’s work computer.
He was charged by federal complaint, which stated that investigators found multiple sexually explicit images of pre-pubescent minors on a hard drive and an SD card removed from Bellinger’s office.
In early January 2025, Bellinger pleaded guilty to federal charges of possessing child pornography.
Fort Worth theology professor charged with possession of child pornography
A professor of theology and librarian at the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University has been federally charged after allegedly storing pornographic images of toddlers on his work computer.
The Latest:
On Friday, he was sentenced to 121 months in federal prison by U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman, who also ordered that Bellinger pay restitution of $6,000 to certain victims and that Bellinger be taken into custody immediately following the hearing.
The maximum sentence he was facing was 20 years in prison.
The Source: Information in this article is from the U.S. Attorney's Office, Northern District of Texas.