West Valley's Walden West Camp Will Review Policies Following Child Pornography Arrest

Lax oversight and budget skimping may have made a beloved environmental camp in the West Valley foothills vulnerable to sexual predators.

The San Jose Mercury News reports that the recent arrest of a Walden West employee for child pornography has led to questions about whether the county-run organization followed policies to keep children safe.

Child advocates say they are concerned that Santa Clara County Office of Education relied too heavily on young volunteers and forbade parents from visiting.

The county office has run Walden West for decades, overseeing 15,000 annually. They have hired an outside investigator to find out what went wrong.

Employee Edgar Cavarrubias-Padilla, known as "Papa Bear'' in the camp, was arrested in May on charges of possessing and manufacturing child pornography and molesting a child.