PARKER, Colo. — A jury convicted a Parker man of 36 charges related to possessing child pornography, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office said Tuesday.

On May 10, John Arthur Murray, 36, was found guilty of 35 counts of sexual exploitation of a child/possession of materials and one count of sexual exploitation of a child/possession of 20+ items.

Murray collected the images at his Parker home between September 2009 and November 2017, when his wife discovered them while trying to download family photos from his computer’s hard drive.

The wife then contacted Parker police.

“Upon investigation with the Arapahoe County Computer Crime Lab, Parker Police discovered more than 400 images of interest, including 35 images that depicted children previously identified as being victims of child pornography by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children,” the DA’s office said.

Murray is the father of two girls. He and his wife have since divorced.

Most of the images found depicted girls between 13 and 15 years old.

“For most men, becoming a dad creates an awareness of the innocence and vulnerability of all children and the solemn obligation to protect them. But not here.  Murray invited hundreds of images of children being exploited into the house where his own children slept, and in so doing, he continued to fuel the demand for child pornography,” said District Attorney George Brauchler said through a press release. “Coloradans should know that our weak laws make this depravity punishable by as little as probation. Our communities deserve better, to ensure child-porn aficionados will be punished appropriately.”

Senior Deputy District Attorney Kelley Dziedzic prosecuted the case.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 2.