Another nine felony counts have been added to charges against an Ohio University professor accused of possessing online child pornography.
Amol Kharabe, an assistant professor in the College of Business’ management information systems department, has already pleaded not guilty to his original 12 counts.
A superseding indictment, however, issued April 28, added nine additional counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor.
That opens the way for Kharabe to "plead in the alternative," meaning he can plead two ways inconsistent with each other on the two indictments, and therefore the court could find different convictions based on the same alleged facts, said Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn.
The 41-year-old Kharabe was arrested Feb. 10 by Dublin authorities at his house after he was accused of "possessing a laptop which was found to contain child pornography," according to a news release from Blackburn's office.
Kharabe's first indictment, issued Jan. 27, included nine counts of pandering obscenity involving a minor — second degree felonies — plus counts of pandering obscenity, illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance and possessing criminal tools, all fifth degree felonies.
After being locked up in a Franklin County correctional facility, Kharabe pleaded not guilty to every charge that was brought to him Feb. 13 and was released on a $50,000 signature bond.
In order to continue the investigation on the case, Athens County Common Pleas Court has rescheduled the jury trial date from May 6 to July 8.
Kharabe’s salary was $120,360 during OU’s 2013-14 academic year.
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