COLUMBIA (AP) -- An award-winning composer and former fine arts instructor at a private school in Charleston has been charged with making child pornography.
Fernando Rivas Monday pleaded not guilty Monday to child pornography production.
Federal prosecutors say Rivas coerced a person under the age of 18 to engage in sexually explicit conduct for the purpose of taking pictures. Rivas is also charged with using a computer to send the images across state lines and possessing child pornography images.
Neither Rivas nor his attorney immediately responded to messages Monday.
Porter-Gaud School says Rivas worked as a jazz music instructor there until 2009. The indictment does not say whether the alleged victim was a student.
His website says Rivas won two Emmys and a Grammy for work composing songs for "Sesame Street."
(Copyright 2011 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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