A 90-year-old Champlin man is facing seven felony charges after police say a flash drive found near an apartment building's mailbox led investigators straight to his door. Emil Willingham was arrested on October 30 after officers say they matched him to explicit material involving children found on the device and others seized from his home.
According to KARE 11, Champlin police said Willingham was arrested for possessing sexually explicit pictures and a video depicting girls ages 4 to 14. The case began earlier in October, the station reports, when an employee at Willingham's apartment building found a flash drive near his mailbox and brought it to police.
A Flash Drive Becomes the Key Piece of Evidence
The employee told police the flash drive contained homemade videos showing an elderly man pleasuring himself to images of young children, per the same account. Investigators said the man's face was not visible in the videos, but officers matched the man to Willingham based on physical characteristics, Driver and Vehicle Services records, and a photo, the station reports. The drive also contained documents belonging to Willingham, including his will, police said.
Armed with that information, officers obtained a search warrant and searched Willingham's Champlin apartment on October 28, according to the outlet's report. During that search, police said they seized several electronic devices and flash drives. Court documents reviewed by KARE 11 describe child sexual abuse material found on those devices, including seven files, with the most recent reportedly created in June.
Suspect Directed Officers to More Evidence, Police Say
When confronted, Willingham admitted being aware of the flash drives officers were discussing and directed them to four more flash drives hidden in a magazine rack inside his apartment, the station reports. Those additional details, drawn from the same court documents, helped form the basis for the seven felony charges he now faces.
Willingham appeared in court on November 2 and was released a few hours later after a judge set his bail at $50,000, per the same account. His release is expected to be supervised, and he is due back in court on December 1. Willingham's family said they had no comment on the allegations, the station notes.
What the Charges Could Mean
Willingham's case falls under Minnesota Statutes section 617.247, the state law governing possession of child sexual abuse material. A current snippet of the statute reviewed from the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes states that a person who possesses such material, with reason to know its content and character, is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to up to five years in prison or a fine of up to $5,000, or both. A separate, older version of the same statute instead describes a tiered penalty structure, with up to five years and a $5,000 fine for a first offense and up to ten years and a $10,000 fine for a second or subsequent offense, according to the Minnesota Revisor of Statutes 2014 version. Which provision applies to Willingham's case was not specified in the available court information.
The allegations against Willingham remain just that — allegations — with no plea or case outcome reported as of now. He is scheduled to return to court on December 1.
