Police: Brooklyn Park Man had Thousands of Child Porn Files

A Minneapolis Police Officer said he was able to download child pornography he said was shared online by a Brooklyn Park man.  A later search of that man's computer found thousands of child pornography files, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.

The officer wrote that he was able to access files containing suspected child pornography via a peer-to-peer file sharing network.  His investigation led him to 47-year-old Michael Eugene Dale of Brooklyn Park.

A search warrant was served on Dale's home.  A computer was seized.  According to the complaint, a search of the computer found more than 3,000 items described as "child pornographic files" and more than 11,000 items described as "child erotic files."

"During a non-custodial recorded interview, the Defendant admitted that the computer seized by complainant was his computer, that he was using a peer to peer file sharing program to download child pornography," said the officer in the complaint.  "Defendant said he intended to delete the files.  He further admitted to knowing that he was sharing files with other peer to peer users."

Dale faces six felony counts of Possession of Pornographic Work Involving a Minor.  As of Monday he was being held in the Hennepin County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.  Dale is due in court October 9.