TACOMA — Child pornography charges were dismissed Monday against the former artistic director of Olympia’s Capital Playhouse after a judge decided the information used to charge him was garnered by an illegal computer search.
Troy Fisher, 52, was charged with possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexual conduct in Thurston County Court, but a judge ruled the search of Fisher’s computer was illegal Monday.
The charges stem from when Fisher, a longtime employee of Capital Playhouse who frequently came into contact with children, was reported missing by his family on July 23. The Olympia Police Department went to his home in an attempt to locate him and analyzed his phone and computer. A detective allegedly found a total of 151 images of child pornography images on his computer, including photos of boys and girls from the ages of 10-14 engaged in sexual activity.
Fisher called 911 from a payphone on July 25. Paramedics responded to find him dehydrated and disoriented, the Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office said. He later told paramedics that he had no memory of the prior 48 hours. He said he couldn’t sleep on the night of July 23 and went to his car to listen to music so he wouldn’t wake his niece and nephew, who were staying with him. Next thing he knew, officials said, he woke up in a bush two days later.
Fisher admitted to having pornographic images on his computer, prosecutors said, but claimed any child pornography was unintentional. He also admitted to viewing pornography on two computers at Capital Playhouse, and detectives allegedly found three images involving minors on computers at the nonprofit playhouse.
10 Comments to “Charges dropped against ex-Capital Playhouse artistic director”
February 25, 2013 at 3:35 PM
I Have known Troy for 21 years and I NEVER once believed the Charges for a second. The Rrmaining
problem, is that it is difficult to undo the harm that has been committed to his reputation by just having made the ugly allegation. My Hope is that responsible news coverage will be as agressive in reporting
his innocence as it was to report the allegations.
February 25, 2013 at 6:26 PM
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573085,00.htm…
February 25, 2013 at 6:27 PM
Framed for Child Porn by a PC Virus
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,573085,00.htm…
February 25, 2013 at 7:58 PM
Thank you Dennis for the courage to speak out for this man's reputation~ it is EGREGIOUS what the police did to this guy.
February 26, 2013 at 10:14 AM
Really! "Framed by a PC virus."
February 26, 2013 at 10:14 AM
This Fisher guy is "free" only because of an Olympia Liberal Judge. It’s ridiculous to think that police have to obtain a search warrant for someone’s computer when that person has been considered missing by their own family.
February 26, 2013 at 10:15 AM
I think we are all missing the big picture. It’s not that Fisher didn’t have child porn on his computer in fact he had it on all of his computers.
February 26, 2013 at 10:15 AM
Fisher was set free because of a technicality that was up to interpretation of the law by a judge. Oh, and can we say dope. Who goes missing for two days without a phone call to a family member and then wakes up in some bushes nowhere near his home and doesn’t remember anything? I will tell you, people on dope.
February 26, 2013 at 10:15 AM
There was an investigation and the charges were forwarded to the prosecutor who then charged the guy. That means a lot of professionals saw this guy as a weirdo. It wasn't a "witch hunt" you idiot's.
February 26, 2013 at 10:20 AM
This guy has got a good point here people.