Suspect of child pornography was detained in prison

RAPID CITY, SD (KOTA) – A judge is ordering a Rapid City man facing federal child pornography charges to remain in jail.

Lewis Patterson III, 39, was arrested earlier this week and pleaded not guilty to distribution and possession of child pornography in court Wednesday.

At a detention hearing Friday morning, Pennington County Sheriff’s Office Digital Forensic Examiner Hollie Strand testified that they seized 35 items from Patterson’s home and now have more than 150 terabytes of data to go through.

Strand described what they’ve uncovered so far, from child exploitation to the worst of the worst. She says they found spreadsheets detailing what she described as “hundreds, if not thousands” of transactions by Patterson selling the material for between $35 and $1,000 per transaction.

Magistrate Judge Daneta Wollmann ordered Patterson held in jail, calling it “not even a close call,” saying it appeared to be Patterson’s full-time job.

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