A Weare man pleaded guilty Monday in U.S. District Court to possessing child sexual abuse images.
Karl Messner, 63, is scheduled to be sentenced July 16 on the federal charge, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
Authorities began investigating Messner after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in June 2016 about suspected illegal downloading of child sexual abuse images. The internet protocol (IP) address associated with those reports led authorities to Messner’s home in Weare. His residence was searched that October.
During an interview at his house, Messner admitted to viewing sexually explicit images of children, and said the images could be found on his laptop and thumb drives. Authorities seized a laptop and thumb drive as part of their investigation.
The case was investigated by local and federal authorities.