Lawmaker’s son has some explaining to do

updated 1:07 a.m. ET Oct. 5, 2007

NORWALK, Ohio - An image of a topless woman that popped up during a state legislator's computer presentation to a high school class had been downloaded by a child of the lawmaker, a state House staffer said.

The image of a topless woman was projected after Rep. Matthew Barrett inserted a data memory stick into the computer for a Tuesday lecture on how a bill becomes a law. He was speaking to an American government class of about 20 students in the northern Ohio city of Norwalk.

Barrett has said he did not know at the time how the image had become intermingled with the graphics presentation he was there to show. He immediately shut down the computer and finished the presentation using paper handouts.

Preliminary results of a State Highway Patrol investigation found that one of Barrett's four children downloaded the embarrassing image, said a House Democratic staffer who spoke on condition of anonymity on Thursday because the probe is ongoing.

Though she stopped short of identifying the youngster, House Democratic Leader Joyce Beatty said in a statement: "This situation is a matter between him (Barrett), his teenaged son and his family."

Norwalk police, who have taken over the investigation from the State Highway Patrol, referred questions to the Huron County prosecutor's office. That office declined to discuss further details of the case Thursday.

Phil Saken, spokesman for the Ohio House Democratic Caucus, said Barrett has asked for privacy to deal with the family matter and will not comment further.

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