Over 150 child porn charges dismissed in plea agreement for Dayton man

ajc.com

A Dayton man has pleaded guilty to bill of information charges after he was originally indicted on 160 child porn charges.

Tommy Joe Burks, 32, pleaded guilty to five bill of information charges of possession of criminal tools, a fifth-degree felony, in a plea agreement filed Feb. 2 in Montgomery County Common Pleas Court.

According to court documents, the charges could lead to fines of up to $2,500, or six months to a year in prison.

As part of the agreement, the Montgomery County prosecutor’s office agreed to dismiss all 131 counts of illegal use of a minor in a nudity-oriented material or performance, 29 counts of pandering sexual oriented material involving a minor (solicit-possess material) and single count of pandering sexual oriented material involving a minor (advertise or sell material).

Burks is scheduled to be sentenced March 5.

He was originally charges after Dayton police received a referral from the National Centers for Missing and Exploited Children that Burks had child sexual assault material in his email account, according to the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office.

The prosecutor’s office said that investigators served a search warrant for his electronic devices and email account, and found 29 images of sex acts involving children and 131 images of nude minors.

Staff writer Kristen Spicker contributed to this report.

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