Tempe diving coach charged after police find child porn on computer
Feb 12, 2018, 3:46 PM | Updated: 8:59 pm
(Flickr/Christopher Sessums)
(Flickr/Christopher Sessums)
PHOENIX — A diving coach for a Tempe-based club team has been arrested after officers traced multiple child pornography images back to his computer.
Sgt. Ron Elcock, a spokesman with the Tempe Police Department, told KTAR News 92.3 FM Cody Montgomery was arrested on Feb. 7 and charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of a minor.
Montgomery was an assistant coach with Sun Devil Divers, a club diving team that operates independently from the nearby Arizona State University. The team’s website is currently down, but according to a cached version, he was involved with three club groups.
Cody Montgomery (Photo: Tempe PD)
Elcock said an investigation was launched into Montgomery after the department followed up on a tip of images being transferred to a computer.
“That tip led them to Cody’s residence and eventually to his computer, where detectives ended up finding numerous photos of what was believed to be underage females. Nude underage females,” he said.
Sun Devil Divers head coach Marc Briggs told KTAR News 92.3 FM that Montgomery had been an employee since May 2016 but his contract has since been terminated.
Briggs also provided KTAR News 92.3 FM with a letter sent to the families of divers shortly after Montgomery’s arrest.
In the letter, team director Mark Bradshaw said the news was “shocking and extremely upsetting.”
Bradshaw also said neither he or any staff member had ever received “any allegation of inappropriate sexual or other criminal misconduct…involving pornography or otherwise” by Montgomery.
“We pride ourselves at SDD in providing our team members with the very best instruction from qualified, caring, professional diving instructors. The idea that one of our staff members would engage in conduct like this is antithetical to everything that we are about.”
Bradshaw also urged parents to immediately contact authorities and himself if they feel that any coach has engaged in inappropriate conduct with their child.
In a statement, an Arizona State University spokesperson confirmed that Montgomery was not a university employee but said Sun Devil Divers pays the university to rent facilities for its practices.
