Molester’s pictures tighten case against him
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The defendant, Joseph Morgan III, 50, was indicted recently on 36 counts of especially aggravated sexual exploitation, nine counts of child rape and one count of aggravated sexual battery. He will appear for arraignment before Circuit Court Judge Bart Stanley later this month.
He was arrested earlier this year when police allegedly found a naked child inside his car parked near the old Formfit Rogers building off Sparta Street within a mile of his home.
Morgan allegedly claimed the 6-year-old girl had undressed herself to use the bathroom but lawmen strongly doubted his story. It was also found he had been investigated earlier, in his former home in Maryland, on charges of inappropriate contact with a child.
Their suspicions were confirmed when they arrived at his house and began digging through his computer. It was during the probe they found numerous digital images of two little girls, ages 5 and 6, in pornographic poses, many of which police could tell were made inside Morgan’s home. The children are both related to Morgan.
In addition to the poses, lawmen said Morgan photographed himself touching the children in private areas, evidence which brought about the child rape charges, each of which holds 15 to 25 years in prison. He had originally been charged with sexual battery, but the photographic evidence on pictures allegedly taken by Morgan, gave police enough evidence to seek the child rape indictments. Morgan remains held awaiting arraignment.