A former professor of theology and librarian at the Brite Divinity School at Texas Christian University (TCU) has been sentenced to ten years (121 months) in federal prison for possession of child pornography, announced Acting United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Chad E. Meacham.
Charles Kilby Bellinger, 63, was arrested in October 2024 by the Fort Worth Police Department after TCU’s IT staff discovered pornographic images with concerning file names, including “infant” and “toddler,” on his work computer. Federal investigators subsequently found multiple sexually explicit images of pre-pubescent minors on a hard drive and an SD card removed from Bellinger’s office.
Bellinger pleaded guilty to the federal charges in early January 2025. On Friday, May 16, 2025, U.S. District Judge Mark T. Pittman handed down the 121-month prison sentence. Judge Pittman also ordered Bellinger to pay $6,000 in restitution to certain victims and remanded him into custody immediately following the hearing.
Acting U.S. Attorney Meacham commended the collaborative efforts of the U.S. Secret Service, the Fort Worth Police Department’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit, and the Texas Christian University Campus Police in conducting the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney A. Saleem prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.
