Child porn dad gets supervised visitation (Nucla, Colorado)

Dad THOMAS HELMBRECHT, who is a high school science teacher and former football coach on PAID administrative leave, has been charged with possessing child pornography. Nevertheless, he'll still get supervised child visitation if his daughters "agree." It appears that the daughters, whose ages are not given, are "not all in agreement." The girls are currently "staying with friends" after a "voluntary" removal from the home. No mention of the mother at all. Why don't reporters ever ask these things? Is this a single dad? What?

http://www.montrosepress.com/articles/2009/09/11/news/doc4aa9db9236f2d537178716.txt

Sex suspect allowed supervised child visitation

By Katharhynn Heidelberg
Daily Press Senior Writer
Published/Last Modified on Thursday, September 10, 2009 11:18 PM MDT

MONTROSE — Thomas Helmbrecht, the Nucla teacher accused of possessing child pornography, can have supervised visits with his daughters if the girls agree.

Helmbrecht, 50, appeared in Montrose County Court Thursday, where he was formally charged with sexual exploitation of a child as a class-4 felony.

Helmbrecht, since freed on a $10,000 bond, was arrested last week after the Montrose County Sheriff's Office obtained and served a search warrant at his residence. According to what was said in court last week, investigators found several explicit photos of children and four computers in the home, which needed further examination.

Helmbrecht admitted during his advisement last week that he was addicted to porn, but said he was no threat to his daughters.

Thursday, his attorney asked for the bond and protection order conditions to be modified to allow Helmbrecht supervised visits with his children. The district attorney's office had no objection.

A representative from Health and Human Services said however that the children are not all in agreement that they are ready to visit with Helmbrecht. The HHS department wanted the children to be able to choose to see their father, rather than be forced by court order to visit him.
The department's child protection investigation is ongoing and the children are staying with friends, after a voluntary removal from the Helmbrecht home.

Supervised visits will now be allowed, as authorized by HHS, Judge John Mitchel ordered.

Helmbrecht has also complied with bond conditions that required him to meet with a clinical psychologist.

His case was bound over to district court at his attorney's request and he next appears at 10 a.m. Oct. 5.

Helmbrecht taught science at Nucla High and formerly coached football there. He is on paid administrative leave, West End School Superintendent Steve Yost said Thursday.