DETROIT LAKES — Austin David Saarinen, 28, of Lake Park has been charged in Becker County District Court with felony possession of child pornography.
According to court records, on March 24, a Becker County sheriff’s investigator received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, stating a suspect phone with corresponding email had uploaded child pornography using the Snapchat phone app.
The photo depicted a young girl, who appeared to be under the age of 14, posing naked. The investigator obtained a search warrant for Saarinen’s phone after learning his phone number matched what was reported in the cyber tip. About 80 images were found on his phone exhibiting child pornography. Saarinen admitted those images were on his phone. He is currently in custody in the Becker County Jail serving a sentence on a recent possession of child pornography conviction where he was sentenced on March 16.
On April 8, cash bail for Saarinen was set at $40,000 or bond at $40,000, under standard conditions of release, or $80,000 bond with no conditions. He remains in the Becker County Jail. A plea hearing is set for July 8.
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