Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man charged in connection with a child pornography investigation earlier this year has admitted to five of the eight charges against him.

The criminal complaint filed against 32-year-old Matthew Gene Marquardt in June was based on an investigation that was launched in April after Rochester police received cyber tips from Meta, Snapchat, and Microsoft. The court document says the tips concerned 26 images and videos of suspected child sexual abuse material found on the platforms between August and September 2023.

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The charges state that information included in the cyber tips was used by investigators to link the child pornography images and videos to Marquardt. The criminal complaint says a cell phone and computer were seized from his home when police executed a search warrant at the residence in late April.

Andy Brownell - TSM Rochester
Andy Brownell - TSM Rochester
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Court records indicate investigators discovered of more than 900 images of suspected child sexual abuse material on his phone as well as over 1000 images depicting child sexual abuse that were believed to have been generated by Artificial Intelligence.

The criminal complaint also indicates that evidence was found on Marquardt's phone that showed he used browsers to hide his identity while accessing the illegal material through websites found on the so-called "dark web." It also says thousands of additional images and videos of suspected child pornography were found on the computer seized from his home.

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The court document included evidence provided by the cyber tips that indicated the Rochester man had shared some of the images and videos with other users. Meta listed two accounts in which he portrayed himself as a young woman and young girl on social media.

Under the terms of a plea agreement filed today in Olmsted County Court, Marquardt has entered guilty pleas to five counts of possession of child pornography. In exchange, prosecutors have agreed to drop three other felony charges, including one count of disseminating child pornography.

The plea deal does not include a sentence recommendation. Marquardt is scheduled to be sentenced in January.

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