Ex-Central Michigan researcher on Internet censorship freed from jail in child porn case

A former Central Michigan University professor specializing in Internet censorship has been freed from jail where he was being held on child pornography charges.

U.S. Magistrate Michael Hluchaniuk on Wednesday ordered William Merrill released on a $50,000 bond, overriding a federal prosecutor's objection that Merrill might flee or try to kill himself.

The 58-year-old resigned as a professor of education at the Mount Pleasant school and faces federal charges of possession of child pornography. Authorities say they found sexually explicit videos of children on his university computer.

Merrill's areas of research included Internet censorship and the use of children in advertising.

Authorities haven't set a date for his preliminary examination.