LEICESTER, Mass. — Leicester Police arrested a local resident this morning after he left a pornographic DVD displaying a pornographic image on the label along a walking route Leicester Middle School students take to get to their local bus stop.

After an investigation, police were able to identify the man as Richard C. Hawes, 47,  of Carleton Road in Leicester.

Leicester Police Chief James Hurley stated the police department received a report from the administration at the Leicester Middle School on Jan. 12 that two students observed pornographic material with cash wrapped up inside of it left on the side of the road along the route they take to the bus stop.  

The students also reported that at one point a cell phone was left at the same location with a pornographic image displayed on it.   

One page of an adult pornographic magazine that had also been placed along the roadway was provided to the police as evidence.  

Police checked the area which the phone and pornographic images wrapped in cash were reportedly spotted but the items were no longer present.

The officer who initially went to the scene did not find any of the items described by the students but did observe footprints in the snow leading to and from the location provided by the students.  

The officer followed those prints, which led back to a local residence, and police were also able to determine a time frame during which the incidents were occurring.

Hurley explained that all of this information, combined with the footprints, gave the officers the potential route of travel of a suspect, and Detective Timothy Fontaine of the Leicester Police Department set up surveillance in the area where the incidents has occurred.   

On Wednesday and today Fontaine observed a male leaving items at the same location where the students had seen the pornography earlier.  The item left by the suspect today was a DVD disk containing an X rated adult pornographic video entitled “Cat Alley.”  

After the item had been left the officer on surveillance recovered the item and took the man into custody a short distance from the scene at a local restaurant where had walked too.

Hawes has been charged with (1) Annoying and Accosting Sexually (2) Distribution of Pornography (2nd offense) (3) Resisting Arrest.  

Hawes was booked at the Leicester Police Department and transported to the East Brookfield District Court for arraignment, where he was held on bail.  

Hurley stated that after Hawes was taken into custody, the Leicester Police applied for and received a search warrant for Hawes' residence and that the search of that location led to the recovery of additional evidence linking Hawes to the distribution of the pornography.

Hurley stated that the investigation is continuing and that Hawes may face additional charges.

The chief added that Hawes is only charged with crimes involving the distribution of adult pornographic material and there is no indication that he is involved in any other type of pornography at this point in time.

"I would like to thank everyone who reported suspicious activity in this area as your information greatly assisted in this apprehension," said Hurley, who also thanked the officers who conducted the investigation. "The surveillance was set up in this area as early as 4:30 a.m. during the early stages of the investigation and the commitment of the officers never wavered."

Hurley also stated that the Leicester Police Department was assisted by the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office during the investigation, and thanked the Leicester School Department for their outstanding help as well.