Auditor frequented sex-related Web sites, tracking records show

Documents tracking the use of the computer on the desk of David Ludwig, Cape Girardeau County auditor, dating back to May 2007 show the computer was routinely used to access Web sites featuring Pamela Anderson, best known for her role in the television series "Baywatch" and who gained considerable notoriety for sex videos and photos that were readily available on the Internet.

Other sex-related Web sites also were visited.

The documentation was generated by the county's information technology department director, Eric McGowen, at the request of Presiding Commissioner Gerald Jones after complaints were made last year about photographs left in a printer.

Each person using a county computer is given a unique user name. The user name involved in the records obtained by the presiding commissioner belonged to Ludwig.

Last month, Ludwig was asked by county commissioners, in a closed meeting, to resign after other complaints were made about his computer use that violate the county's computer-use policy.

After calls were made by the Southeast Missourian regarding the closed meeting, Ludwig retained an attorney, Al Lowes, who said his client was accused of downloading "a picture of some girl in a bathing suit, Pamela Anderson."

Cape Girardeau County's information technology department monitors how county computers are used to access the Internet, according to McGowen, the department director.

Last year, and again this year, McGowen was instructed by Jones to produce reports of anything accessed by Ludwig's computer "that was potentially objectionable."

In one instance, McGowen's report shows that from 3:32 to 3:49 p.m. on June 6, 2007, Ludwig's computer visited a dozen Web sites with stories about or pictures of the former "Baywatch" star and a Web site, E! News, featuring a story headlined "Nude Britney more infectious than nude Paris."

When confronted privately last year by county commissioners, Ludwig signed a letter saying he would stop violating the county's computer-use policy with a promise to resign if he did it again.

On April 15 of this year, Ludwig's computer accessed the Internet for more than 30 minutes, from 4:42 to 5:15 p.m., visiting sites with stories about Anderson's striptease for Playboy magazine founder Hugh Hefner and an online news story regarding a Marilyn Monroe sex tape.

Two days later, Ludwig was confronted by county commissioners in a closed meeting and pressured to resign. He refused, instead going on sick leave.

Ludwig was not contacted for this story. Last month his attorney told the Southeast Missourian not to contact the county auditor.

Among the nearly 200 pages of documents released Friday by the county's prosecuting attorney, Morley Swingle, are 54 pages showing all the Web sites visited by Ludwig's computer since the beginning of March this year.

(To see examples of the documentation tracking the use of Ludwig's computer, go to semissourian.com.)

Ludwig is serving a second term as county auditor. He was unopposed in the last election. The county auditor is responsible for tracking county revenue and spending, auditing county books and tracking county property using an inventory system. The auditor's annual salary is $65,373. On Jan. 1, 2009, it will increase to $67,660.

pmcnichol@semissourian.com

335-6611, extension 127