Clown Charged with Child Porn Possession

June 8, 2006 (WPVI) -- A man who entertained children as a clown at the Jersey shore is facing some shocking charges Thursday night. He is known to parents and children as Skates the clown. But police say behind the make-up is the face of a man with a penchant for child porn.

A man who calls himself Skates the Clown is skating on thin ice Thursday night, and police say the charges against the Ocean County entertainer are nothing to laugh at.

He goes by the name Skates the Clown and has his own website advertising his services for kids' birthday parties and other events. But 46-year-old Walter Homan may have trouble with his bookings after his arrest on child pornography charges.

The married father of 2 is a nurse's aide who lives in this Beachwood home and allegedly had what police describe as a significant number of sexually explicit pictures of children on a computer they examined as part of an investigation into identity theft. Det. David Anderson/Ocean Co. Sheriff's Dept.: "Mostly movies and images of underaged individuals engaged in sexual activity with male adults." Homan was not at home Thursday afternoon, but his son reacted to the charges. "I'm devastated. I don't know what to say about this. It's going to destroy the reputation of everything." Some neighbors say they aren't surprised, but are still upset that someone who has regular contact with children as a clown would have pornographic pictures of kids on his computer. Susan Lenartowicz/Neighbor: "I think it's an in for him to get closer to children. Always did." Mary Ann Lindley/Neighbor: "I just think it's disgusting. There's a lot of little kids that are around here." Police are getting calls from concerned parents who had parties where Skates the Clown performed, but say the charges relate only to possessing child pornography. Det. William Oldham/Beachwood Police Dept.: "We have no suspicions at this time and no evidence that he's done anything." IN TERMS OF CONTACT WITH KIDS? "That's correct." Homan works at Meridian Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Brick. A spokesman tells Action News he has been suspended without pay pending the outcome of the investigation. What will happen to his clown business is unclear, but his website is receiving nasty messages. This is among the tamest: "You sick man. How dare you put children in that position!?"

If convicted Homan faces up to a year and a half behind bars.

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