Two Bay Area men accused of producing child pornography had their first appearances before a federal trial judge in San Francisco today, but in both cases the scheduling of a trial was postponed while attorneys gather more evidence.
Former professor Kenneth Kyle, 46, of San Francisco, faces federal charges of producing, distributing, transporting and possessing child pornography and crossing a state line to commit child abuse.
Kyle is also charged in Missouri state court with raping a 1-year-old girl and producing child pornography.
He was arrested on March 15 and resigned April 5 from his job as an assistant professor of public affairs and administration at California State University, East Bay.
In a separate case, Jonathan Hill, 30, of Novato, is accused in federal court of two counts of producing child pornography in 2005 and 2010 and one count each of receiving and possessing child pornography.
Marin County authorities have alleged Hill made sexual advances and comments to four Marin County girls in March and sheriff’s investigators have alleged they found what they call a “rape kit” in his home.
The federal cases against the two men have both been randomly assigned to U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White for trial.
During the two men’s appearances today, prosecution and defense attorneys in both cases asked White to postpone setting trial dates while they gather and go over more evidence.
White ordered Kyle to reappear in his court on July 22 and Hill on June 17 for status conferences and possible setting of dates for pretrial motions and trials.
White told Kyle’s defense attorney, David Bigeleisen, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Martikan, “I expect substantial progress to be made in the interim” in the gathering of evidence.
Both Kyle and Hill are being held without bail and previously pleaded not guilty in arraignments before a federal magistrate. They appeared in court today in red clothing of Alameda County Jail, where they are being held while awaiting trial.
