By  Seamus McGraw   

March 27, 2006

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RICHMOND, Va. (Crime Library) — It now appears that Ben Fawley, the amateur photographer and accused child pornographer, will face his trial on first-degree murder charges well before he has to answer allegations that he kept a cache of child porn on his home computer.

Ben Fawley

The 38-year-old Fawley was to have appeared in court last week in Richmond, where he is charged with possession of up to 30 pornographic images of children. Authorities found the images while searching his home during their probe into the disappearance of Virginia Commonwealth University freshman Taylor Behl last fall. But according to Chris Cooper, one of the lawyers representing Fawley, the court agreed last week to postpone a hearing on the child porn case until "June or maybe July."

In the meantime, Fawley is slated to go on trial for murder in connection with Behl's death, perhaps as early as May.

Taylor Behl

Fawley, who could face life in prison if convicted, was under suspicion almost immediately after she disappeared in September at the beginning of the school year. While investigating him, authorities stumbled across the cache of kiddy porn and a firearm, which Fawley, an ex-con, was prohibited from owning. He was charged with possession of pornography and unlawful possession of a weapon. The weapons charge was problematic and authorities later dismissed it, giving them the opportunity to use a statement Fawley had reportedly given while being questioned. In that statement, Fawley admitted to killing the young woman, claiming it was an accident during rough sex.

PICTRUE3

Authorities recovered Taylor Behls body on a farm linked to Fawley in rural Mathews County.

Earlier this year, a grand jury in Mathews County indicted him on a raft of charges, including first-degree murder.

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