BENTON – A Benton man was formally charged Wednesday in Franklin County Court with multiple felonies accusing him of not only possessing child pornography but also of having sex with an animal.
Benton Police reportedly arrested 28-year-old Austin Wayne Lee Tuesday and transported him to the Franklin County Jail to await a first appearance in court Wednesday afternoon, along with a pretrial detention hearing.
Lee was formally charged Wednesday with 15 separate felonies — 10 counts of possession of child pornography – Class 2 felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison; and five counts of sexual contact/sexual conduct with an animal – Class 4 felonies, each punishable by up to three years in prison.
According to the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, their investigators, with the assistance of the Benton Police Department, conducted a search of Lee’s home Tuesday in the 600 block of Maple Street in Benton and arrested him after discovering evidence of child pornography and sexual conduct with an animal. Lee was previously charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Illinois with counts related to child pornography.
The Illinois Attorney General’s Office will co-prosecute this case with Franklin County State’s Attorney Abby Dinn.
