Ex-Charleston teacher facing child porn charges

COLUMBIA, S.C. (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.”