Prominent Pagan Arrested for Child Pornography

This is not a good week for the pagan community.

Kenny Klein, well known pagan musician and an amateur photographer, has been arrested in New Orleans on 25 counts of child pornography, involving images found on his computer of children under the age of 13 engaging in explicit sexual activity, according to this news story from the Times-Picayune.

Klein has recorded a number of albums, both on his own and with other musicians, including his ex-wife Tziporah, with whom he used to tour the country playing pagan-themed original folk songs and traditional music at festivals and other venues. Klein had moved to New Orleans several years ago and more recent songs reflected that cultural change. In recent months Klein had also begun writing articles for the Huffington Post, covering events such as Mardi Gras.

Klein’s author bio for HuffPo mentions several of his books:  ” Kenny is the author of several books including Through The Faerie Glass, Fairy Tale Rituals, and the upcoming Fairy Tale Magic, all on Llewellyn Worldwide.” Klein also wrote The Flowering Rod: Men and Their Role in Paganism.

I spoke with my friend and fellow Patheos blogger Lilith Dorsey this morning about this news and she said, “I had several heated discussions with him about appropriating various elements of my religion, New Orleans Voodoo, while he was not an initiated member of the tradition. Perhaps this is just the tip of the iceberg of his bad behavior.”

Klein was also a member of the well-known Blue Star coven tradition for many years.

I will update this story later today as I learn more.