Guilty plea entered in child pornography case
Sep. 19—A 24-year-old Carthage man pleaded guilty this week in Jasper County Circuit Court to possession of child pornography.
Austin J. French changed his plea to guilty on the felony count in a plea deal dismissing a second felony charge he picked up last year. Judge Gayle Crane delayed formal acceptance or rejection of the plea agreement and ordered an assessment of the defendant prior to a sentencing hearing Nov. 18.
Carthage police received a tip in July of last year that French had some illicit photos of an underage girl on his phone. An officer who went to his home to question him about the matter said he at first claimed if there were any such photos that they had since been deleted. But the officer found four photos of an underage girl that were still on the phone, according to a probable-cause affidavit.
A conviction for possession of child pornography can carry up to seven years in prison.
