Explicit images created, displayed online by computer science professor
More than 600 computer renderings, some of them explicit, were created and exhibited online over a five-year span by a Central Michigan University computer science professor.
Thomas Ahlswede, a computer science professor at CMU since August 1990, has had an account on deviantart.com, an online community showcasing various forms of user-made artwork, since 2007. He used computer programs Poser and Adobe Flash to create more than 600 renderings of human figures which range from fully clothed women and children to nude depictions of adult females.
Ahlswede uses his full name and staff photo, found on the department of computer science’s homepage, as his profile page on the website.
A male student, who found the images and wishes to remain anonymous, said he was Google searching for the professor and stumbled upon the site.
“I saw hundreds of images, and a lot of them were blocked due to nudity,” he said. “It makes me really uncomfortable, because this professor is working with 17 and 18 year-old girls on a daily basis, then going home and creating porn featuring women in his free time.”
Although some of the images include fully-clothed people, many of Ahlswede’s creations are explicit. One image features two women nude in the shower. Another depicts two naked women on the beach applying tanning oil to one another, and a number of images feature women lying naked in bed.
Children are involved in some images, although none appear to be depicted sexually or nude.
One image features two scantily-clad women sitting at a bar drinking what appear to be alcoholic beverages, with a child sitting on top of the bar, surrounded by bottles of alcohol, with a drink in her hand.
Ahlswede said he creates these images in his free time and they have no affiliation with the university or the classes he teaches and shouldn’t impact his students at all.
“(The animations) are done purely as a hobby. The website (Deviant Art) is very popular, and I wouldn’t be surprised if some of my students had accounts,” he said. “If my students have such a problem with what I do in my free time, I would tell them simply not to look at my animations. Nobody has to; they chose to.”
Jane Matty, associate dean of the College of Science and Technology, referred all comment to Matt Serra, executive director of Faculty Personnel Services.
Serra wrote via email that FPS has not received any complaints or statements of concern from any of Ahlswede's students.
"Were we to receive such, we would handle it according to university policy and procedures," Serra said. "I note, however, that expressive activities of employees, particularly outside the work environment, are protected by the First Amendment."
Patrick Kinnicutt, acting chairman of the department of computer science, was unaware of Ahlswede’s hobby.
“This is the first time I’ve heard of it," he said when reached for comment Tuesday. "It’s definitely something I frown upon and I don’t think is proper for upstanding citizens to do."
Ahlswede said he isn’t trying to hide his hobby from anybody.
“I wouldn’t object to the department knowing about my artwork, but I wouldn’t bring the topic up on my own,” he said. “I don’t know how I will handle this situation. I guess I will cross that bridge when I come to it.”
Kinnicutt said he will need to look into the matter further as it has never previously come up.
“I’ve never come across a situation like this before, so I really don’t know the policy. The department doesn’t have a policy against this, because we’ve never dealt with it before,” Kinnicutt said. “The university may have a policy, but I’ll have to do some research.”
He said he will look into policies and take action once he knows what steps are necessary.
“I am mainly concerned that it’s out there and it makes students uncomfortable, especially students taking his classes,” he said. “I’ll have to do some research, but students need to know they are more than welcome to talk to me about any concerns they have.”
