A Toledo man has been accused of possessing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) after band members found a flash drive allegedly containing over 1,800 photographs following a rehearsal.
Robert E. Follett, 70, is charged with one count of second-degree possession of depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct. The Class B felony is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and $20,000 in fines.
Follett made a preliminary appearance in Lewis County Superior Court Wednesday. A judge set his bail at $50,000 cash or bond.
According to Lewis County Jail records, Follett posted bail that evening.
As part of his release conditions, Follett is prohibited from having any contact with minor children, or from frequenting places where minor children are known to congregate. Follett cannot leave Western Washington without the court’s approval.
Follett indicated Wednesday that he will retain private defense counsel. He is scheduled for an arraignment on July 16.
According to a probable cause affidavit, the Lewis County Sheriff’s Office began investigating Follett on June 22 after two individuals reported possible CSAM allegedly found on a flash drive.
The two said they’d found the drive after a band practice at their music studio, and figured it belonged to a band member. On June 20, while looking at the files, the witnesses allegedly found “several photographs of nude young girls,” according to the affidavit.
“They were in shock and closed it,” the affidavit said.
One of the witnesses later found insurance information on the drive that connected to Follett, a band member.
“They printed the insurance information and a screenshot of some of the photographs to give law enforcement an idea of what was on the flash drive,” the affidavit said.
According to the affidavit, the investigating deputy reviewed the screenshot and found “54 different photographs, all of young children appearing to be females under 14 years old, except for one where the gender could not be determined.”
The sheriff’s office obtained and executed a search warrant on the drive.
According to the affidavit, investigators found more than 1,800 alleged photographs of “male and female nude children, including some with adults present in the photographs.”
Investigators also found documents allegedly identifying Follett, including a copy of his Washington state driver’s license.
Follett has no prior criminal history, prosecutors said on Wednesday.
