'Kids Corner' volunteer photographer charged with child porn

A longtime volunteer photographer for WXPN's award-winning Kids Corner show was arrested Friday and charged with five counts of manufacturing and attempting to manufacture child pornography.

Federal authorities allege that Mark Wilkens, 57, of Philadelphia's Lawncrest section, photographed children between the ages of 2 and 10 and attempted to capture sexually explicit images of them while they were attending Kids Corner events at the Franklin Institute, Morris Arboretum, and the Camden Children's Garden.

He is also charged with one count of possessing child pornography, which he downloaded from the Internet.

Prosecutor Michelle Rotella said many of the radio station events had involved water activities. The government alleges that Wilkens attempted to focus on the genital area when he took photographs of children changing their clothes or when parents were changing their diapers.

Wilkens allegedly also took photographs up children's clothing, such as when they were sitting on curbs.

"We were shocked and appalled to learn that a photographer who volunteered at WXPN from time to time has been charged with this crime," a spokeswoman for the FM radio station said in a statement Friday. "We have taken this matter extremely seriously and have worked diligently to assist the police with the investigation."

Wilkens, who was out on bail from an arrest by Philadelphia police in July on related charges, remains in federal custody until he has a hearing and arraignment Tuesday.

One of his attorneys said Wilkens would plead not guilty.

Dressed in jeans, a gray long-sleeve T-shirt, and black shoes, Wilkens did not speak during his initial appearance Friday afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Marilyn Heffley.

Afterward, Rotella said that search warrants were served on Wilkens' third-floor apartment Friday, and that the investigation was continuing.

Although Wilkens had been a volunteer photographer for WXPN's children's program for 26 years, the indictment covers the period from August 2010 to July 4 of this year.

The prosecutor told reporters that an employee at a photo-processing center spotted some disturbing images of children and called the Philadelphia Police Department during the summer.

Rotella said that Wilkens, who is currently unemployed, once worked at a plastics factory in New Jersey.

John J. Flannery Jr., one of the attorneys who represents Wilkens, said his client would enter a plea of not guilty next week, as he had when he appeared in Municipal Court on three charges related to child pornography.

Flannery said it appeared that federal authorities had superseding powers and would take over the matter.

"We are not going to discuss the merits of the case," he said. He declined further comment.

When police served search warrants on Wilkens' apartment in July, they found equipment and items he allegedly used to produce and store child pornography: several high-end cameras; camera accessories; a smartphone; a hard drive; flash and thumb drives; more than 100 compact flash camera cards; and photos, posters and videos of children, as well as some children's clothing.

If convicted, the U.S. Attorney's Office said, Wilkens faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years.

martha.woodall@phillynews.com215-854-2789@marwooda