TEXARKANA, Texas–A Texarkana man facing 40 counts of possession of child pornography pleaded not guilty this week.
Jared Upchurch, 31, is accused of storing photos and videos of children being sexually abused in “an application masquerading as a calculator” on a computer that was searched in March by Texarkana, Texas, police, according to a probable cause affidavit. Texarkana Texas Police Department investigators began looking into Upchurch after receiving a tip that originated with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
The images allegedly include depictions of the sexual exploitation of young teen girls and prepubescent girls. A Bowie County grand jury indicted Upchurch in May for 40 counts of possession of child pornography. Each count is punishable by two to 10 years in prison.
Upchurch appeared for arraignment on Wednesday before 202nd District Judge John Tidwell. His lawyer, Clint Allen of Atlanta, Texas, entered a plea of not guilty on Upchurch’s behalf to all the charges. Tidwell scheduled the case for a pretrial hearing Dec. 5.
Bail on each count has been set at $50,000 for a total of $2 million.
Upchurch is currently being held in the Bowie County jail in downtown Texarkana.
