A Poplar Bluff man appeared in court Monday after his recent arrest for allegedly possessing child pornography.
Shawn W. Herman, 43, appeared before Associate Circuit Judge C. Wade Pierce for arraignment on three Class B felonies of possession of child pornography.
Herman, according to Casenet, waived formal arraignment and pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Jordan Wellinghoff with the Public Defender’s Office entered his appearance on Herman’s behalf.
An oral motion for bond reduction was made, and Butler County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Paul Oesterreicher agreed to reduce Herman’s bond, which originally had been set at $100,000 cash or surety.
Oesterreicher agreed to $50,000, but the court reduced it to $25,000, with the special condition that Herman have no electronic devices or any contact with minor children.
Herman’s Friday arrest, according to a highway patrol news release, was the result of an investigation by members of the Division of Drug and Crime Control’s Digital Forensics Investigative Unit.
The Poplar Bluff Police Department and the Southeast Missouri Cyber Crimes Task Force also assisted in the investigation.
On Friday, investigators reportedly executed a search warrant at Herman’s residence on South Ninth Street.
As a result of their search, investigators seized child pornography and computer equipment.
The Division of Drug and Crime Control encourages Internet users to promptly report to the patrol or local law enforcement anyone who attempts to engage in unwanted, inappropriate, or sexualized communications with children.
The Digital Forensics Investigative Unit is partially funded by the Missouri Department of Public Safety State Cyber Crime Grant and the Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.