CAMPBELL — An 80-year-old San Jose man was arrested Tuesday after he went to a camera shop for help retrieving images off an SD card that contained sexually explicit images of children, according to Campbell police.

Frank Pendergast was booked on one count of possessing child pornography and was released on his own recognizance Wednesday morning.

Police say Pendergast went to San Jose Camera & Video on Winchester Boulevard in Campbell on Tuesday afternoon to get help getting photos off an SD card, and dropped off the card and left the store.

An employee working on the card saw about a dozen images he believed were child pornography and called police, Campbell police Capt. Gary Berg said. Responding officers confirmed the nature of the images, which were apparently mixed in with other photos; Berg said it’s possible Pendergast did not know they were on the card when he brought it to the store.

When Pendergast returned to the store, officers arrested him. Pendergast consented to a search of his West San Jose home and admitted he had more illicit images stored there, Berg said.

Investigators seized several items from the home, including a computer, VHS tapes, DVDs and other SD cards, Berg said. Those materials are still under review.

Berg also said police are exploring whether Pendergast’s involvement with child pornography was limited to possessing the images. There is no indication at this time that he was involved in producing child pornography.

“That’s one of the things we’re investigating,” Berg said.