Nicholson Township man faces more than 70 charges related to child pornography
State police charged a Nicholson Township man Thursday with more than 70 felonies for possession of child pornography.
Investigators received a tip in August 2022 that Jeffrey Wayne Cooley, 57, had illicit material on a laptop and hard drive in his home in the 100 block of East Uniontown Street.
According to the criminal complaint, police served a search warrant at Cooley’s home later that month and collected the devices. Though the state police crime lab in Greensburg conducted an initial analysis of their contents, the computer and hard drive were then sent to the attorney general’s office in Harrisburg.
State police in Uniontown reviewed the files retrieved from Cooley’s devices Wednesday, and found 73 files of alleged child pornography. According to the complaint, police believe some of the files show children younger than 10. Cooley is charged for each file.
Cooley was arraigned Thursday afternoon before District Judge Daniel Shimshock, who sent him to the Fayette County jail without bail. Court records indicate Shimshock denied Cooley bail on the basis of him being a flight risk and a threat to himself and others.
Cooley is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 16.