A U.S. Customs and Border Protection agent had more than 80 images of child pornography on devices at his San Francisco home, prosecutors said.
Gilbert Lam, 37, appeared in San Francisco Superior Court Thursday on two felony charges of distribution and possession of child pornography.
Lam, who worked at San Francisco International Airport, did not enter a plea during the hearing.
Details of the case were released during the hearing as Lam's defense attorney Lucy McAllister and Assistant District Attorney Alexis Fasteau argued whether his bail should be reduced.
Fasteau said that 83 child porn files were found on various devices in Lam's home and that he participated in peer-to-peer file sharing.
She said one video contained 20 prepubescent children and some included infants. She said that that Lam admitted "it was stimulating to him."
Fasteau also said it was "ironic he was in the trusted position of being a Customs and Border Protection officer, making sure people do not come into this country with contraband."
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McAllister argued that Lam was initially arrested on suspicion of child porn charges in August 2011 but prosecutors declined to prosecute him then.
She said he was not a flight risk since he stayed in San Francisco after that arrest, working as an agent at the airport after he was released even though he knew prosecutors could re-file charges against him.
Lam was arrested again on March 9 and remains in custody.
Judge Jerome Benson agreed to reduce his bail from $250,000 to $80,000, agreeing that Lam was not a flight risk.
He will return to court again on April 25 to enter a plea to the two charges.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection issued a statement about the case following Lam's arrest.
"We do not tolerate corruption or abuse within our ranks, and we fully cooperate with any criminal or administrative investigations of alleged misconduct by any of our personnel, on or off duty," the statement said.
