Ex-New Found Glory Guitarist Steve Klein Convicted in Child Pornography Case
Former New Found Glory guitarist Steve Klein, who played with the band from its formation in 1997 until his arrest in 2014, has been convicted in a years-long court case that saw him accused of possessing child pornography and exposing himself to underage girls in online video chats.
Klein was charged in 2014 with five felony counts of lewd acts on a child, as well as a count each of contact with intent to commit a sex offense and possession of child pornography. The charges stemmed from two-way chat room videos on Omegle, a platform that connects random strangers directly, that were found on an external hard drive at Klein’s home. Klein agreed to plead no contest to an added felony charge of indecent exposure, and the remaining charges were dismissed.
According to the San Luis Obispo Tribune, Klein will serve no jail time and will be sentenced to two years of probation. If Klein complies with the terms of his probation for one year, his felony conviction will be reduced to a misdemeanor and his probation terminated. He will, however, need to register as a sex offender for at least 10 years no matter what.
The incidents occurred between 2010 and 2012 with victims who were 14 and 15 years old. No physical contact occurred. The victims have not been publicly identified.
In 2014, Klein’s now-ex-wife, Amanda McCullough Klein, found evidence of his activity while searching on an external hard drive for evidence he was having an affair. She called police, setting the legal process in motion in 2014.
Mrs. Klein testified in court that she discovered at least 100 videos of two-way chats between Steve Klein and unidentified females who appeared to be underage, estimated by a pediatrician in court to be between the ages of 9 and 16 based on their sexual maturity. Five videos played in court to the Judge, Klein and his attorney (but not shown publicly due to their sensitive nature) showed Klein masturbating and encouraging the girls to remove their clothes and touch themselves. At least one of the videos depicted Klein masturbating while two girls, who were clothed, watched.
The couple divorced and Klein was fired from New Found Glory later in 2014.
Ilan Funke-Bilu, Klein’s attorney, called the conviction a fair “compromise” and said his client will continue making music. “He’s still writing great songs. He’s still writing great music,” he said. “I think the future will be even better now that he can put this case behind him.”
