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From Staff Reports
BELLEVILLE -- A 48-year-old man is being held in Mifflin County Correctional Facility on $1 million bail for possessing child pornography.
Stephen L. Lawson, of Belleville, was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Kent Smith Friday on 14 felony counts of child porn and one count of illegally using a communication device.
According to the Affidavit of Probable Cause, two pornographic files that depicted children under the age of 18 had been uploaded on Nov. 26, 2022, to a phone that was linked to Lawson at his Belleville address.
After a search warrant was issued for the device, officials said no less than 10 images of child pornography were located.
On Dec. 19, 2023, the Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General then was able to obtain a search warrant for Lawson's address, 3644 West Main Street, Belleville.
Police noted in the report, "the interior condition of the residence was deplorable with garbage, human and canine feces throughout the residence."
On Jan. 8, forensic analysis determined the device contained 14 images or videos depicting a child under 18 years engaging in a prohibited sexual act. It was determined that 11 of the 14 images also depict indecent contact and/or a child under the age of 10 and three images or videos depicting a child under 18 engaging in a sexual act.
Lawson is also facing terroristic threat charges which resulted in the Mifflin County High School and Junior High School being shut down for a period of time on Dec. 29. He was held on $50,000 bail on those charges. The preliminary hearing was held Friday for this case.
Mifflin County Regional Police said they issued the arrest warrant for Lawson's pornography charges -- which were filed by the state Attorney General's office -- when Lawson was in court
Lawson is awaiting a preliminary hearing set for 9 a.m. Jan. 31 in Smith's office for the child pornography charges.