Investigators in the East Bay are linking a child pornography scandal to a longtime Lawrence lab worker.

Police say 86-year-old William Kolbe, a celebrated researcher with the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, was arrested on charges of possessing child pornography.

Kolbe reportedly admitted to investigators that he had been downloading the material on work and home computers for 30 years.

The case against Kolbe began in 2024 when the California Highway Patrol raided his Albany home as they investigated networks where child pornography was being shared. He allegedly told officers there was more at his Berkeley work station.

Police said they found hundreds of thousands of images in all.

Prosecutors filed charges against Kolbe this week.

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