A former University of West Georgia music instructor was arraigned in federal court last week on an indictment for child pornography charges.

Jerry Michael Lanier, 51, was working as a part-time contract trumpet instructor at UWG right up until the time of his arrest in December 2011. He is charged with one count of receiving child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography.

Lanier, a Smyrna resident, was indicted by a federal grand jury earlier this month. He is accused of receiving DVDs from an overseas source.

Lisa Matheson, director of public information for the university, said the scope of the federal allegations do not include Lanier's activities at UWG.

“Child pornography preys on the most innocent and vulnerable members of society,” said U.S. Attorney Sally Quillian Yates in a statement. “[Lanier is] charged with participating in the victimization of children when [he] received child pornography through the mail. These cases refelct our commitment to end this horrendous cycle of victimization.”

According to Yates, between January 2010 and January 2011, Lanier allegedly placed orders with a foreign company, ordering and receiving through the mail approximately 19 DVDs containing child pornography. A search warrant executed at his residence in December 2011 revealed that he had numerous videos of child pornography on his computer, Yates said.

The case is being investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service with assistance from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, Cobb County Police Department and Smyrna Police Department.

“Postal inspectors have been on the forefront aggressively investigating cases involving the sexual exploitation of children through the U.S. mail,” said Keith Morris, postal inspector in charge of the Atlanta division. “We will continue our fight against sexual predators who insist on dissolving the innocence of children.”

GBI Director Vernon Keenan said this type of offense is a “growing problem” statewide.

“The victimization of children by purveyors of child pornography is a growing problem in Georgia and assisting state, local and federal agencies in identifying and prosecuting those involved in the child porn trade is a priority for the GBI and its Child Exploitation and Computer Crimes Unit,” Keenan said. “The GBI is proud to have assisted the U.S. Postal Inspection Service in this investigation.”

The charge of receiving child pornography carries a mandatory minimum confinement period of five years and a maximum term of 20 years in prison. The charge of possessing child pornography carries a maximum sentence of 10 years in prison. Each charge carries a fine of up to $250,000 and a period of supervised release from five years to life.

Police raided Lanier’s Smyrna home when he was arrested in December 2011, after which he was forced to resign from his instructor position.

The arraignment took place before U.S. Magistrate Judge Janet F. King. Assistant U.S. Attorney Paul R. Jones is prosecuting the case.

Lanier is a Carrollton High School class of 1979 graduate and graduated from West Georgia College in 1984 with a bachelor’s degree in music education. He attended Northwest University in Illinois until 1987, receiving a master’s degree in trumpet performance.

He has performed in more than a dozen symphony orchestras, including several in Chicago, Ill., and the Carroll Symphony Orchestra since 2002.