A Warren man accused of child pornography offenses has been ordered to stand trial on the charges, officials said.
Tony Anthony Winston, 26, was bound over by a 37th District Court judge on Tuesday, the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office said.
He is scheduled to be arraigned in Macomb County Circuit Court on Aug. 24, it said.
“Allegations involving child sexual abuse material are among the most disturbing cases our office handles because they involve the exploitation of children and can cause lasting harm to victims,” Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido said in a statement. “The trauma does not simply end when the abuse occurs. When images or videos are viewed, possessed, or shared, the record of the victim’s abuse remains in circulation. We will not tolerate those who are accused of contributing to this ongoing victimization. Our office will aggressively pursue these cases and seek accountability for those who exploit children.”
Winston is charged with aggravated child sexual abuse activity, a 25-year felony; using a computer to commit a crime that has a maximum prison term of 20 years to life, a 20-year felony; aggravated distribution or promotion of child sexual abuse activity, a 15-year felony; five counts of aggravated possession of child sexual abuse material, each a 10-year felony; and six counts of using a computer to commit a crime with a maximum penalty of 10 to 20 years, a 10-year felony.
Prosecutors said Warren police began investigating allegations against the defendant after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children earlier this month.
Investigators said they found numerous files of child sexual abuse material on Winston’s cellular phone.
He was charged last month.
Winston is among the latest defendants to be accused of child pornography offenses in Michigan.
A Howell man and former youth soccer coach was charged with sexually exploiting a 6-year-old girl and possessing and receiving child pornography.
A Grosse Ile man facing several child pornography-related charges was indicted by a federal grand jury last month.
Also last month, a Detroit firefighter was charged with federal child pornography offenses after he allegedly sent and received photos of naked children ― some of which were created by AI.
cramirez@detroitnews.com
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This article originally appeared on The Detroit News: Warren man, 26, bound over on child porn charges
Reporting by Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News / The Detroit News
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By Charles E. Ramirez, The Detroit News | USA TODAY Network
