An Independence Township man has been charged with 10 counts of computer-related pornography crimes generated by a Pennsylvania state trooper’s investigation.
Nicholas Michael Baker, 20, was arrested by the Oakland County Sheriff Computer Crimes Unit in December, according to an announcement released by the sheriff’s office last week.
County reports said a Pennsylvania state trooper was investigating computer pornography. After tracing pornographic images of children to a file server based at Baker’s address, the trooper contacted Oakland County sheriff investigators, who executed a search warrant and confiscated Baker’s computer.
Baker later admitted to having around 4,000 pornographic images of children as young as two and three years old, reports said, in addition to having pornographic video files.
Sheriff Detective Carol Leposky said the formal charges include three counts of distributing child sexually abusive materials (a seven-year felony), two counts of possession of child sexually abusive materials (a four-year felony) and five companion charges of use of a computer in committing a crime (a four-year felony).
A preliminary examination is scheduled for Feb. 3 in front of 52-2 Judge Kelley Kostin. The combination of charges resulted in bond being set at a total of $10,000, Liposky said.
Liposky said law enforcement agencies regularly cooperate in such investigations, especially because, ‘Pedophiles always network.?