A Michigan ex-con was arrested with child pornography after Google reported he uploaded the graphic content to a photo account, prosecutors said.
Christopher Cole, 41, was booked on charges that include possession of child sexually abusive material and using a computer to commit a crime after the tech giant reported the alleged activity to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children last year, according to Muskegon County prosecutors.
The agency called in the state police to examine thousands of graphic images Cole had apparently uploaded to a Google photo account, Muskegon County Chief Assistant Prosecutor Timothy Maat told MLive.com.
Investigators later determined Cole, who was arraigned this month, had allegedly reproduced some of the images.
“It’s alleged that he was in possession and made copies of materials involving underage males,” Maat told MLive.com.
The charges carry a potential sentence of 20 years in prison, but since Cole has prior convictions — one for writing a check with no bank account and another for failure to return rental property — he’s facing life in prison.
Cole is being held at the Muskegon County Jail on $100,000 bond, according to jail records. His next date in court has been scheduled for May 30.
