He's described as one of the leading food anthropologists in the world, and Dr Richard Wilk has done extensive field work in Belize. He also appeared as an expert witness for the Mayas in the 2009 Maya Land Rights trial.
But, three weeks ago, Dr Richard Wilk was arrested in the US state of Indiana, after authorities reportedly found files of child pornography in his online Dropbox folder.
The 70 year old was charged for Possession of Child Pornography.
Court documents show that child pornography of a person less than 12 years old was detected on the Dropbox website. US news reports say the account contained a "large quantity" of child pornography.
Police say Wilk admitted to viewing child pornography and told the detective he was curious and had an addiction problem. Wilk advised the detective he should be pursuing the people who produce child pornography.
Wilk currently holds the title of Distinguished Professor Emeritus. He's researched and written extensively on food origin and preparation in Belize.
He maintains a home on San Pedro.
