Nanny Accused Of Having Child Porn Appears In Court, Mom Defends Her

A Daviess County child care worker accused of having child pornography appears in court for the first time Monday. Sarah Alice Cox is charged with more than a thousand counts of child pornography possession. Monday a judge waived her case to a Daviess County grand jury.

Cox asked the judge to lower her bond so she could get out of jail, but the judge denied that request. The judge said given the nature of Cox's charges, it is better for the public if she remains behind bars.     

Kentucky State Police say Cox worked in child care and as a nanny in the Owensboro area. Investigators are still asking parents who used Cox's child care services to contact KSP so they can determine if Cox ever produced pornography using local children.

"I just want the local people to know that there was no danger in this town, anybody she watched. This was not something she produced or anything. I believe it goes a lot deeper than what people know," says Michelle Cox, Sarah Cox's mother.

Michelle Cox says her daughter was molested by her ex-husband, and is a victim of child pornography. She suggests her daughter downloaded child pornography to find pictures of herself as evidence against the man who allegedly abused her. "It ruined her. It killed her soul, and now they're trying to take the rest of her life," says Cox. "Maybe she went into that career to prevent other children from being hurt."

Melissa Smith, Cox's neighbor, says even if Cox was abused, it doesn't make possessing child pornography right. "You can't justify the behavior good or bad. Everyone is responsible for their own actions. You can't blame anyone else for a choice you made yourself," says Smith.

Daviess County officials say Cox's case will likely move to a grand jury sometime next month. Investigators say -- at this time -- they do not have any evidence that suggests Cox produced child pornography using local children.