Photo: Jon Baincheckal
BERKELEY — A University of California at Berkeley executive director was arrested last week on suspicion of possession of child pornography. His problems with the law are the result of a multi-agency investigation.
Jon Bainchekal, 49, was arrested by Berkeley police on January 16. His title at UC Berkeley is executive director of financial planning and analysis. Subsequent to his arrest, Bainchekal has been placed on administrative leave by the university.
While being questioned by police, Bainchekal purportedly confessed to possessing and viewing pornography. He was booked for possession or control of child pornography, before being released from custody on the same day.
Berkeley police began investigating Bainchekal after receiving tips about child pornography. A nefarious account was allegedly accessed from both Bainchekal’s Berkeley residence and his workplace office.
Two child welfare agencies notified Berkeley PD about his potential wrongdoing. Tips were received from the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force and National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
A warrant enabling authorities to view an account associated with Bainchekal turned up images of child pornography. This discovery prompted authorities to obtain warrants to search Bainchekal’s residence and his office at UC Berkeley.
During these searches, images of child pornography were recovered from a laptop computer associated with Bainchekal.
Devices containing child pornography have been recovered by police as evidence in this ongoing investigation. Additional digital forensic research is under way to gather more potential evidence.
Agencies assisting in the inquiry include the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and Contra Costa County District Attorney’s Office also participated in this investigation. Assistance was provided by the Concord Police Department as well.
