Liberty, Mo. ? The top executive of a food service equipment company was charged Wednesday with three counts of possessing child pornography, Clay County authorities said.

Ronald E. Elmquist, 60, is president and chief executive officer of QualServ Corp., which manufactures and distributes kitchen equipment and tableware. The company is based in North Kansas City, with additional plants in Fort Smith, Ark.; Columbia, S.C.; and Nashville.

Clay County authorities said a company technician found images of teenage and prepubescent girls on Elmquist’s company-issued laptop computer after Elmquist complained about pop-up ads and spyware.

“It is very disturbing that a 60-year-old man who is an executive of a major corporation would be engaging in such perverted behavior,” Clay County prosecutor Daniel White said.