New Mexico observatory closure stemmed from FBI child porn probe: documents

The mysterious 11-day closure of a New Mexico solar observatory stemmed from an FBI investigation of a janitor suspected of using the facility’s wireless internet service to send and receive child pornography, federal court documents showed on Wednesday.

The National Solar Observatory in Sunspot, New Mexico, was evacuated without public explanation on Sept. 6, leading to a swirl of speculation and conspiracy theories on social media.

The riddle was finally explained in newly unsealed FBI records, including a 39-page application for a warrant to search the suspect’s residence.

The observatory reopened on Monday. (Reporting and writing by Steve Gorman in Los Angeles; Additional reporting by Joey Roulette in Orlando, Florida)