MANKATO — A Mankato man has been charged on five counts of child porn possession.
On March 7, detectives with the Mankato Department of Public Safety began investigating the possession of child sexual abuse material that was uploaded to an electronic service provider. The owner of the account was identified as 46-year-old Nicholas William Mathis, according to the criminal complaint.
Mathis admitted he had downloaded “child porn” and initially stated he believed it was fewer than 50 videos but later admitted it could be as many as 300, according to the complaint.
On Dec. 10, 2024, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a CyberTip report relating to an email belonging to Mathis. The tip revealed Mathis had uploaded material to his photos and drive accounts with the provider. Five additional tips were found to be associated with Mathis’ email.
Mathis has been charged in Blue Earth County District Court. Detectives also reviewed files referenced in the CyberTips and found that five of them were pornographic works involving minors.