Ex-Georgia Tech professor Faiz Al-Khayyal indicted in child porn case

A former Georgia Tech associate professor has been indicted in Fulton and Clayton counties on multiple counts of sexual exploitation of children.

Authorities allege Faiz Al-Khayyal had child poography in both his Tech office in Fulton County and on his Tech-issued laptop computer, which was seized from him at Hartsfield-Jackson Inteational Airport in Clayton County.

Al-Khayyal was arrested on Sept. 11, 2009 and released three days later on $225,000 bond.

This week, a Fulton grand jury retued a 172-count indictment against Al-Khayyal, and a Clayton grand jury retued a 29-county indictment. No dates have been set for arraignment hearings.

If convicted on just one of the felony counts under state Code Section 16-12-100, Al-Khayyal could face not less than five years nor more than 20 years in prison and a fine of not more than $100,000.00.

Efforts to reach Al-Khayyal on Thursday were not successful.

Al-Khayyal, a Saudi Arabia native, was an associate professor at Tech’s School of Industrial and Systems Engineering.

"The professor has been suspended without pay since his arrest," Tech spokeswoman Lisa Ray Grovenstein said Thursday. "While Georgia Tech does not comment on ongoing investigations, we will continue to cooperate with authorities as this matter proceeds through the justice system."

Tech said it suspended Al-Khayyal for violating its computer-use policy. Illicit computer activity prompted the university to contact law enforcement, the university said at the time of his arrest.

Al-Khayyal eaed a Ph.D. in operations research from George Washington University in 1977, according to his biography on the Georgia Tech website.