Sacramento Bee reporter Gilbert Chan pleaded not guilty to felony child pornography charges on Friday. From KCRA:
A Sacramento Bee reporter accused of inappropriately filming a youth cheerleading competition pleaded not guilty to charges Friday..
Gilbert Chan, a Davis resident, is charged with one felony count of possessing obscene matter depicting sexual conduct of a person under 18.
Chan waived his rights to have the complaint read in open court and to a speedy preliminary hearing.
Chan's attorney, Stephen Sabbadini, said his client had no comment at this time.
Yolo County prosecutors charged Chan after a youth cheerleading competition Feb. 3 at the UC Davis Activities and Recreation Center.
A witness told UC police a suspicious person was videotapiong cheerleaders.
Rhonda Berka, a cheer advisor for the Davis High School squad, was at the competition. She said the organization running the event is vigilant in protecting participants.
"If they see someone videotaping more than one or two squads performing, they come around and they ask you to leave and shut your camera off. So they're very conscious of what goes on at competitions," Berka said.
Berka said parents and student athletes have to be more aware about adults around children and what they're doing.
Chan is on administrative leave from the Sacramento Bee.
He will be back in court in May.
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