SHU athletic communications aide faces child porn charges

Sacred Heart University's head of athletic communications has resigned in the face of child pornography charges.

Eugene "Gene" Gumbs, 49, of Middletown, resigned Friday, a university source said, a week after he reportedly turned himself in to Middletown police.

Gumbs had been working as the Catholic university's assistant athletic director for communications for eight years. In that job, he was in charge of publicity for 32 varsity athletic teams at the Fairfield school, according to his biography on the university's website.

He also works for Major League Baseball at Fenway Park, handling online game day software, the site states.

SHU Director of Communications Funda Alp could not be reached for comment Sunday evening.

State Judicial Branch records show that Gumbs was charged April 30 with importing child pornography and illegal possession of child pornography, both felonies, in connection with an incident that allegedly took place last July 24. He is free on $35,000 bond and is scheduled to appear May 17 in Middletown Superior Court, the judicial records show.

A Middletown police desk sergeant refused to comment or even confirm the arrest Sunday evening.

The Middletown Press reported that Gumbs turned himself in after learning of the charges. His home telephone number has been disconnected.

Gumbs' bio on Sacred Heart's website says he has 24 years of sports information experience, having been sports information director at Western New England College in Springfield, Mass., for 14 years before spending two years at Central Connecticut State University. In addition, Gumbs was a radio broadcaster for high school games.

The site states he also spent 10 years as a collegiate assistant basketball coach at the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Western New England College.

Connecticut Post staff writer William S. Paxton contributed to this report.