A Chardon man has been indicted on 10 felony counts related to child pornography.
Michael A. Lawrence, 49, of Lost Pond Parkway, was arraigned in Geauga County Common Pleas Court on Oct. 3 on charges of illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance; pandering sexually oriented material involving a minor; and possessing criminal tools. The charges are felonies of the second, fourth and fifth degree.
Each count also contains a specification subjecting an HP Pavilion and Toshiba Satellite laptop, and Seagate hard drive to forfeiture.
“This is another indictment resulting from an undercover online investigation conducted by a prosecutor’s office investigator,” Geauga County Prosecutor Jim Flaiz told the Geauga County Maple Leaf on Tuesday, declining further comment on the case.
Lawrence, who is represented by defense attorney Rick Perez, pleaded not guilty to the charges at his arraignment. He was released on a personal recognizance bond and his case was assigned to Judge Carolyn J. Paschke for future proceedings.
If convicted on all counts he faces a maximum of 39 years in prison.
