GLENDALE : Man Begins Sentence in Pornography Case

A former Glendale religious store owner has surrendered to court officials to begin a three-month jail sentence for possessing illegal child pornography at his home, a prosecutor said.

Robert Emerson White, 47, appeared before Glendale Municipal Judge Barbara Lee Burke, who two weeks ago ordered him to serve the term in the Glendale City Jail.

The former owner of A Gift Box, 114 S. Louise St., was found guilty April 1 of misdemeanor possession of prohibited material. After the April 29 sentencing, he asked for a delay in going to jail so he could take care of bills and find someone to watch his property.

White--a registered sex offender from a 1987 lewd conduct case--will also have to serve three years probation, 100 hours of community service and seek psychiatric counseling. He cannot associate with children under 14 except in the presence of a responsible adult.

After White was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving, police found a wallet-size photo of a young girl naked from the waist down. Officers then obtained a warrant and searched his Glendale home, where they seized a videotape of naked children running around and photocopied pages of pornographic magazine ads.