Bernie Ward, a San Francisco radio talk show host and former Catholic priest, was indicted on child pornography charges Thursday; his lawyer says he was doing research for a book about the Internet.

The 56-year-old radio talk show host and former Catholic priest Bernie Ward surrendered to authorities Thursday, after being indicted on federal child pornography charges.

Ward hosts a nightly news talk program on KGO-AM 810, as well as a religion program called “Godtalk” on Sundays.

According to the Associated Press, the specifics of the indictment remain under seal, but the San Jose Mercury News notes that KGO's website says Ward was indicted on two counts of using the Internet to obtain child pornography.

Jeanette Boudreau, Ward's business lawyer, said her client was researching a book about the Internet and called the indictment a “tragedy.”

“He was doing research,” she said. “For him to be charged this way for what probably amounts to a technical violation of the law is a tragedy.”

The Associated Press reports that a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in San Francisco did not immediately return a call.

KGO's Operations Director Jack Swanson was brief as well; he told the San Jose Mercury News: “We were pretty surprised about this. I can't say anything else.”

Swanson would only add that a substitute host would take over Ward's radio shows beginning Thursday.

The paper also quotes Stephanie Salter, Ward's friend and a former columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle. Salter said the radio talk show was released on his own recognizance Thursday. She also pledged he was innocent.

“I know Bernie as a dad, a talk-show guy and an investigative reporter. This is utterly inconsistent with those three facets of Bernie. It doesn't jibe with what I know.”

According to the KGO website, Ward frequently offers commentary on politics on various national cable network news programs. He produced an award-winning series that explored allegations of financial and sexual misconduct in the Archdiocese of San Francisco, the site says. Ward lives in San Francisco, with his wife and four children, according to the News.