Rochester man fails to appear for child pornography hearing
Photo illustration: courts and crime / MGN
(ABC 6 News) – A Rochester man faces three charges of possessing child pornography.
Zack Tyrone Mauseth, 23, was investigated by Rochester police after RPD received a video of child sexual abuse material (CSAM), or child pornography, shown on a Snapchat account.
According to court documents, Snapchat indicated that the username “reaper_” was registered to a specific email address, which Microsoft connected to Mauseth.
In September, RPD allegedly spoke to Mauseth and seized his cell phone.
Mauseth allegedly told police he had used the email and Snapchat account the cybertip pointed to, but he denied having CSAM on his phone.
According to court documents, Mauseth told police a notebook he used to store his passwords had been stolen and “someone was trying to blackmail him.”
Rochester police allegedly located 119 images of CSAM on Mauseth’s phone, according to court documents.
Mauseth was charged in November of 2023 and was scheduled for an initial appearance Jan. 4, 2024.
According to Minnesota Court Records Online, Mauseth failed to appear in Olmsted County Court Thursday.