As I said to my colleagues here at Delaware Liberal when this news broke this afternoon, is it possible to be completely floored and not at all surprised at the same time?
Frequent political office seeker Richard J. Korn was arrested Monday for dealing in child pornography and sexual exploitation of children, according to court records. Korn, 62, of Hockessin, was charged with 25 counts of dealing in child pornography following a month-long investigation by New Castle County police.
The investigation began Dec. 13 when officers were called to Korn’s home to investigate an incident involving possible child pornography. Officers returned with a warrant to search the home Friday and seized computers and other digital evidence related to the investigation, police said. […] The computers had more than 25 images of child pornography, at least one of them depicting a nude adult woman lying underneath a prepubescent female engaged in a sex act, police said in court records. […] Korn was being held at Young Correctional Institution with $750,000 secured bail pending a court hearing next week.
Korn nearly defeated Republican State Auditor Tom Wagner in 2010 as the Democratic nominee. Prior to that, he ran for NCCo. County Executive and State Representative. Over the last several years since at least 2006, Korn was a fixture at any political event taking place in this state. He was a behind the scenes politico. Indeed, I once met with him and current County Council President Christopher Bullock back when Bullock was considering a run against Congressman Mike Castle in, I believe, 2008. Korn was organizing Bullock’s nascent campaign that lasted all of a few months in the winter and spring of that year, and I gave both some insight into blogging, social media and the blogosphere landscape. I relate that story only to illustrate the extent to which Korn was involved in politics over the last several years. In fact, he was involved in politics to such an extent that I hear he was dating a politician from the other side of the aisle recently.
A transplant from New York, a fact obvious in his accent and manner, Korn had this backslapping close talking way about him. He instantly acted like your best friend the moment you spoke to him. It’s a skill that perhaps comes naturally to politicians and those involved in sales, but not at all common to others. Over the years, I have come to realize that such mannerisms and personality traits are sometimes a facade shielding something. Which is why I say I am floored about these allegations but not necessarily surprised.
I hope these allegations are false, that this is all some big misunderstanding. But if there is but a kernel of truth to them, then I must condemn him and I hope all involved in Delaware politics do as well, and I hope justice is served. Some facts from the News Journal article scream at me. Like the fact that the investigation began in mid December when the police was “called” to the home. I know that Korn had divorced or separated from his wife relatively recently. I know there are young children from this marriage, and thus I cannot help but wonder if the police were tipped off to what was allegedly on his computer from his estranged wife.