A “catch a predator” scheme eventually led to a 14-count child pornography indictment being handed down for a Steuben County man.
Joseph R. Lawrence, 44, of Bath, appeared before Steuben County Court Judge Mathew K. McCarthy Aug. 13 on a sealed indictment charging Lawrence with seven counts of promoting a sexual performance by a child, a class D felony, and seven counts of possessing a sexual performance by a child, a class E felony.
Lawrence pleaded not guilty to all charges and was committed to the county jail with bail set at $10,000. He is represented by the Steuben County Public Defender’s Office.
The charges are connected to Lawrence allegedly possessing child pornography in Bath last month, according to the Steuben County District Attorney’s Office.
District Attorney Brooks Baker indicated that Lawrence’s contact with law enforcement began through a “catch a predator” confrontation with social influencers. Although that interaction did not turn up enough evidence to file criminal charges, the investigative efforts of Bath Police Department Investigator Mike Jackson ultimately led to sufficient evidence to present the case to the grand jury, Baker said.
“Investigator Jackson took a difficult situation, followed a solid investigative process and through good police work was able to put together a felony case that led to this Indictment,” Baker said. “He received critical assistance from Steuben County Sheriff’s Investigator Brandon Martin and members of the New York State Police computer crimes unit.
“This was a cooperative law enforcement effort to take someone trafficking in child pornography off the street.”
Baker said the investigation is ongoing and additional charges are a strong likelihood.
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This article originally appeared on The Leader: ‘Catch a predator’ confrontation leads to Bath man’s child porn arrest
Reporting by Neal Simon, Corning Leader / The Leader
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By Neal Simon, Corning Leader | USA TODAY Network
