The City of Pomona, California, issued an apology Monday after a local lawmaker said pornographic images were included in some copies of a summer recreation guide mailed to residents.
The City of Pomona said the images “should not have appeared” in the summer recreation guide sent to residents, including families, according to a statement posted to the city’s website and its associated Facebook page. The city also indicated that the mistake was not “intentional” and an active investigation is underway. Councilman Victor Preciado confirmed via text that some copies included pornographic images after a local couple provided him two copies, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
“The City of Pomona is aware that some copies of the recently mailed Recreation Guide may include inappropriate images that should not have appeared in a publication distributed to residents. We want to ensure the public that this was not intentional, and that these materials were not approved for inclusion in the Recreation Guide,” the statement reads. (RELATED: Police Investigate Alleged Testosterone Injection Vials In High School’s Pride Display)
“We sincerely apologize to our community, especially to families and children who may have been affected. This content does not reflect the City’s values, and we take this matter very seriously,” the city continued.
“We have immediately suspended further distribution of the guide and are actively investigating how this occurred in coordination with our publishing and printing partners. We are working to identify the cause and strengthen safeguards to prevent this from happening again.”
“We recognize this incident has damaged public trust and are committed to transparency as we review the issue and implement corrective actions,” it continues.
Pomona Assistant City Manager Mark Gluba told the San Bernardino Sun that adult content advertisements seemingly appeared in the guide in place of planned city content. While he did not provide specific numbers, Gluba said only a limited number of the summer recreation guides were affected.
“Our Community Services Department coordinates the Recreation Guide and approval of the final proof. Per our vendor, US Printing, the errors did not originate from their print shop, thus the City is looking into the matter with the assumption that a rogue actor may have created and mailed the inappropriate material,” Gluba wrote in an email to the outlet.
The assistant manager said the city employs US printing locations in Montclair and Chino.
“We are in communication with the vendor, but they have indicated that they do some printing from both locations. We cannot currently verify if the vendor printed the tainted versions or if they originated elsewhere,” Gluba continued.
In addition, Gluba said the City of Pomona was “awaiting the Pomona Police Department to come take a crime report and coordinate the investigation in conjunction with the US Postal Inspection Service,” as of Tuesday, according to the San Bernardino Sun.
An online version of the summer recreation guide does not appear to feature pornographic images.
The Daily Caller contacted the City of Pomona and the Pomona Police Department, neither of whom immediately commented on the incident.