LEWISTOWN — A Burnham man is facing 144 felony charges after investigators alleged a home surveillance system captured nude images of his 16-year-old relative that were later recovered during a forensic examination of his cellphone.

Aaron Oneil Cox, 49, of Burnham, was charged Tuesday by the Mifflin County Regional Police Department with 72 counts of sexual abuse of children and 72 counts of child sexual abuse material. According to court documents, the charges stem from an investigation that began in late February after school officials reported a potential child sexual abuse material case involving a student at Mifflin County High School.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, the teen told investigators they discovered a nude image of themself on Cox’s cellphone approximately one month before reporting the incident. Police allege the image was a screenshot captured from a home surveillance camera positioned above their bedroom door and facing the bathroom. The minor told investigators they exited the bathroom after showering and ran to their bedroom without a towel before the image was captured. The minor told police they deleted the image after finding it on the phone but did not initially report it.

The minor later disclosed during an interview with Mifflin County Children and Youth Services that they found multiple screenshots of themself on Cox’s phone. Investigators also allege Cox made repeated comments about the minor’s appearance and attempted to control interactions with boys their own age. Authorities further determined the surveillance camera remained operational and accessible through Cox’s cellphone.

Police executed a search warrant on Cox’s cellphone March 6 during a traffic stop. The device was later examined by the State College Borough Police Department using Cellebrite forensic software. During the review, investigators examined more than 85,000 images contained in a thumbnail folder and identified multiple images believed to depict the minor. According to the affidavit, the minor identified themself in six images, and investigators ultimately recovered 72 images of the minor without clothing covering private parts that had been captured by the home’s surveillance system. The images were preserved as evidence in both their original format and a court-sensitized version.

He was released after posting $100,000 unsecured bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. July 8 before Magisterial District Judge Eric Ettinger.