Deer Creek Man Indicted for Possessing More Than 3,000 Images of Child Pornography

A federal indictment, now unsealed, alleges a 52-year-old Deer Creek man was found in possession of more than 3,000 images of child pornography. The indictment, filed on July 20, 2010, charges Edward L. Andrist with one count of possession of child pornography. The indictment was unsealed following Andrist’s initial appearance in court on July 26, 2010.

The indictment states that in March of 2008, Andrist possessed on his computers visual depictions of minors engaging in sexually explicit conduct. In 2003, Andrist was convicted in Otter Tail County for possessing child pornography.

If convicted in federal court, Andrist faces a potential maximum penalty of 20 years in prison, with a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison. All sentences will be determined by a U.S. District Court judge.

This case is the result of an investigation by the Otter Tail County Sheriff’s Office, the Bertha Police Department, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, an affiliate agency of the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney LeeAnn K. Bell.

This case is part of Project Safe Childhood (“PSC”), a national initiative to combat the growing epidemic of sexually exploiting children, particularly via the Internet. PSC was launched by the U.S. Department of Justice in May of 2006. Led by the Department’s Criminal Division, Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, along with U.S. Attorney’s nationwide, PSC encourages federal, state, and local law enforcement partnerships and provides resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute those who abuse children while identifying and rescuing victims of that crime. In 2008, PSC was credited with 2,289 child pornography indictments being filed in federal court nationwide, a 33 percent increase over 2006. For more information about PSC, visit www.projectsafechildhood.gov.

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