A psychologist talks on what leads a person to look at child pornography.
For Dennis Mikko, working with the 86th District Court's Family Division was something he did for more than a decade. He worked with child abuse and neglect and juvenile offender cases since 1997.
Gary Vann is a licensed marriage and family psychologist whose worked with children and adults for more than 35 years. Vann has worked one on one with people convicted of child pornography. he says in his experience, people who turn to child pornography do so over time.
"A person just doesn't all of a sudden decide to become interested in child pornography. It's usually developed early on in life and it's a result of a dis-functionally developed psycho-sexual identity," says Vann.
Vann says if Mikko is found guilty of having sexually explicit material of children and talking sexually to a minor online, it could raise questions on his rulings.
"It's possible it could because as a judge he's responsible for making responsible decisions and healthy behaviors with children," says Vann.
The fact that Mikko worked directly with children in the probate court raises other questions about the affects it has on the family court system.
"It's hard to tell because I did not witness the cases but if there's any sexually related legal decisions that he may have made, it's going to bring the question to mind as to the people that have been in court as to whether the decision was a proper one possible," says Vann.
On the other hand, Grand Traverse County Prosecuting Attorney Al Schneider has a different perspective on the matter.
"There's not any indication that whatever was going on in this regard to the activity that lead to these charges ever was ejected into any of the proceedings by Mr. Mikko. So it's just unfortunate obviously but I don't think it will have any impact, " says Schneider.
Schneider says Mikko's position as a court referee with the 13th District Court has been replaced. Schneider says the next step in the Mikko case is a preliminary examination. He says that is expected to take place in about two weeks.
