Police seize mayor's computer

Tim Humphries is accused of having inappropriate material on his city computer.

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By Ed Richter, Staff Writer 1:11 AM Saturday, November 14, 2009

CARLISLE — The mayor of Carlisle is under investigation for allegedly having inappropriate materials and photos on his city-owned computer that was located in his office at Town Hall.

Police Chief Tim Boggess said Friday, Nov. 13, that city police seized the computer used by Mayor Tim Humphries on Nov. 5 as part of an investigation that started Oct. 17, and that city police are being assisted by the Warren County Sheriff’s Office and Warren County Prosecutor’s Office.

The computer has been sent to the FBI for forensic analysis, Boggess said. He said he was expected to hear from the FBI this week. No charges have been filed as of Friday.

On Friday, Humphries, 41, denied any knowledge of the search warrant and the seizure of his city-owned computer.

“I am unaware of that,” he said.

Humphries said he had not been in his Town Hall office for more than a week.

However, Boggess said Friday that he “personally served” Humphries with a search warrant at about 4 p.m. Nov. 5 to seize the computer and its contents in the mayor’s Town Hall office.

Boggess said in accordance with standard operating procedure, Humphries was given a receipt for the computer and other items that were seized. Boggess declined to comment further on what was sought in the search warrant, and said the search warrant has been sealed by the courts.

Humphries has pulled petitions to run in the 2010 Republican primary for the Warren County Commission seat now held by Mike Kilburn.

Humphries previously said it doesn’t bother him that some of the bigger names in the county GOP likely would be on the ballot with him, including declared candidates former sheriff Tom Ariss and Mason Mayor Tom Grossmann.

Humphries was appointed to fill a vacant seat on Carlisle City Council in 2005 and was elected mayor in 2007 after defeating incumbent mayor Jerry Ellender. According to the Warren County Board of Elections, Humphries is a registered Democrat.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2871 or erichter@coxohio.com.

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