Pinole high school golf coach charged with child porn
PINOLE, Calif. - A youth golf coach in Pinole has been charged with two felonies for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Jeffrey Tadashi Oda, 33, has served for several years as a volunteer golf coach at Pinole Valley High School - his alma mater - and as a youth golf coach at the Richmond Golf Course, according to the Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office.
Investigators from the county's Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force served a warrant on Aug. 27 at Oda's Pinole home and collected numerous electronic items.
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Forensics examiners allegedly located images and videos of child pornography on his phone.
The District Attorney's Office charged Oda on Sept. 5 with possession of child or youth pornography and a related charge of possession of over 600 images of child or youth pornography.
Oda pleaded not guilty last Thursday in Contra Costa County Superior Court and posted $100,000 in bail.
Oda's next court appearance is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. Oct. 23 in Martinez.
"Any time you have an adult who has a position of authority or trust over a child and that same person has a sexualized interest in children, that is, the interest in child pornography, that becomes very alarming to law enforcement," said Darryl Holcombe, a district attorney's senior inspector.
Authorities say the images he had on his phone do not involve any students from either the school or the golf club.
"These images are ones that we have seen routinely, unfortunately, in previous investigations. they have been identified by other law enforcement agencies," Holcombe said.
He said those in the child-protection industry prefer not to use the term child pornography.
"There’s the implication there that there’s consent, that there’s entertainment value. and there’s absolutely no consent. and there’s absolutely no entertainment value when we’re talking about minors," Holcombe said.
Anyone with information pertaining to the case can contact Holcombe at DHolcombe@contracostada.org.
Henry Lee is a KTVU crime reporter. E-mail Henry at Henry.Lee@fox.com and follow him on Twitter @henrykleeKTVU and www.facebook.com/henrykleefan