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Pre-hearing continued in child porn case

WELLSBURG – A preliminary hearing for the Mingo Junction man charged with possession of child pornography has been continued at his request.

James Alan Sepik, 46, of 219 Petrick Ave., sought and was granted a continuance while appearing without an attorney Monday before Brooke County Magistrate Robin Snyder. A date hasn’t been set for his next court appearance.

Sepik, who is being held at the Northern Regional Jail, also requested a reduction in the $500,000 bond set by Brooke County Magistrate Linda Viderman, arguing he hadn’t committed a violent crime.

But the reduction was denied after Brooke County Prosecutor Joseph Barki III argued Sepik encouraged violent crimes to be committed against children by downloading pornographic images of them from the Internet.

Sepik, a former girls softball coach, was arrested by the West Virginia State Police on four counts of possession of child pornography after a woman turned in a flash drive reportedly containing hundreds of explicit images and several letters written by him.

According to court documents, the woman found the flash drive near the Follansbee softball field.

Barki said additional charges may be filed against Sepik in light of the many images found.

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