Franklin College’s former president now faces 12 additional charges after a search of his phone produced new evidence.
Door County, Wisconsin prosecutors on Tuesday filed charges of possession of child pornography against Thomas J. Minar.
Minar, 56, was arrested Jan. 6 on three other child sex crime-related charges in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin after he allegedly messaged an undercover police officer posing as a 15-year-old boy on the dating app Grindr. Those charges include using a computer to facilitate a sex crime, child enticement and exposing a child to harmful narrations, all felonies that carry a maximum sentence of 68 ½ years in prison if convicted on all counts and ordered to serve separate sentences for each, as well as up to $210,000 in fines.
The new charges against Minar came after Sturgeon Bay police searched his personal phone and found several photos and videos of adult and child pornography, according to an amended criminal complaint filed Tuesday in a Door County court.
The investigating officer found several photos and videos of Minar and minors, court documents said.
The officer also discovered a conversation between Minar and another man that went on for about two years. Those conversations included photos and videos of Minar and the man involved in sex acts, according to court documents.
The two men also talked about having sex with minors, court documents said.
Prosecutors filed a search warrant for the information on March 11, according to online court records.
Each possession of child pornography charge is a Class D Felony with a maximum prison sentence of 25 years each.
During a court appearance last month, Minar waived his preliminary hearing. The move is rare, but common in high-profile cases, or when the evidence against a defendant is substantial or overwhelming.
Minar has been living in Evanston, Illinois since he was released from jail Jan. 7 on $7,500 bond, court records show.
Minar is represented by Brett Reetz, a Sturgeon Bay defense attorney. Door County District Attorney Colleen Catherine Nordin is prosecuting the case, according to court records.
An arraignment is still scheduled for 11 a.m. April 21, according to online court records.
<em>The Statehouse File contributed to this report.</em>
