Convicted SE Minnesota Sex Offender Admits to Child Porn Charge
Austin, MN ( KROC-AM News ) - A southeastern Minnesota sex offender with multiple felony convictions has admitted to a child pornography charge.
According to court records, of Austin was arrested in December 2023 on a warrant for violating the conditions of his release with the Minnesota Department of Corrections . The documents state that he was on supervised release for a sexual assault conviction when he was found in possession of a cell phone allegedly containing sexual abuse material.
The criminal complaint charged him with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and indicated investigators found 19 files containing child sexual abuse material in his cell phone, including five files depicting child victims previously identified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children . The charges described the various files as containing photos and videos of children as young as 6 years old being sexually abused by adults.
Man on Supervised Release For Prior Felony Conviction Arrested For Possessing Child Porn
Smith was convicted of first-degree criminal sexual conduct and second-degree criminal sexual conduct in separate cases in Fillmore County in 2005. His criminal history also includes a conviction for felony first-degree property damage in a Fillmore County burglary case last year.
Smith appeared in Mower County Court this morning and entered into a plea agreement after waiving his right to a jury trial. According to the court record, he entered a guilty plea to a single count of possession of pornographic work by a registered predatory offender. The other 19 charges will be dismissed.
Smith is scheduled to be sentenced in January. The Mower County Sheriff's Office website currently states that he remains in custody with his conditional bail set at $50,000.
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