A Poplar Bluff man is now facing two felony counts of possession of images of child sexual abuse and one misdemeanor count of public display of sexual material.
According to the probable cause affidavit, Tori Pennington, 41, of Poplar Bluff went to the Rodgers Theatre at approximately 9:04 p.m. and taped three sexually explicit images of three different individuals, all adults — at least one of them local — to the front of the theater. The images were reportedly clearly visible from the sidewalk, and at the time a movie was being shown inside the theater with adults and children attending.
After police received the report, they were made aware of video footage showing the placement of the photos. Upon viewing the video, officers identified Pennington as the culprit.
More copies were retrieved from a walking park near the Poplar Bluff Post Office.
Meanwhile, police made contact by phone with one subject of the photos. The individual acknowledged the existence of the photo, but explained it was old and he never authorized anyone to upload it to the internet. He was unsure how it had been shared.
Afterward, police made contact with Pennington at his home. Pennington reportedly admitted to posting the photos and claimed he had written consent from all three subjects to display the images on his website, at the Rodgers Theatre, and at the park.
According to the affidavit, Pennington then retrieved a stack of photos that he intended to hang up in other locations. While speaking with officers, he showed a video he filmed of himself hanging the photos up in public.
Officers later reviewed the contents of Pennington’s phone and discovered multiple graphic images and one video involving minors. Further forensic analysis of the phone verified the content as being stored on the phone.
Pennington was booked at the Butler County jail and is being held with a bond of $50,000 cash or surety.