This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Crime & Safety

Inver Grove Heights Man Sought on Child Pornography Charges

A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for Patrick Scherer, 26, on four felony charges possession of child pornography.

Follow Inver Grove Heights Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our free newsletter

A nationwide arrest warrant has been issued for a 26-year-old Inver Grove Heights man accused of having images and video files of child pornography on his laptop computer.

Patrick Scherer is charged with four counts of felony possession of pornographic work involving minors. Each count in punishable by up to five years in jail and a fine of between $1,500 and $5,000.

Find out what's happening in Inver Grove Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

According to the Dakota County criminal complaint released this week:

Inver Grove Heights Police was contacted by the Bureau of Crime Apprehension about file sharing of suspected child pornography last December. An investigation turned up a registered IP address for a computer that allegedly downloaded a file that depicted minors engaged in sexual actions.

Find out what's happening in Inver Grove Heightswith free, real-time updates from Patch.

An administrative subpoena was issued for the IP address and a suspect, Scherer, on May 21. In a statement to police, Scherer reportedly admitted to seeking out and downloading child pornography images and videos because he was “curious.”

Scherer’s laptop, as well as other computer equipment in his possession, were seized and examined by the BCA. Six images and four video files of child pornography were allegedly found. Approximately four child victims ages 2 to 13 were identified in the files.

The nationwide warrant was issued on Nov. 27.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?

To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com.

More from Inver Grove Heights