JACKSON, Mich. — A Jackson man remained jailed on a $500,000 bond after authorities said a cyber tip led investigators to child sexually abusive material and computer-crime charges.
Travis Robert Thomas, 56, was arraigned Wednesday, July 22, in Jackson County’s 12th District Court on two counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, according to the Michigan State Police and Jackson County Prosecuting Attorney Kelsey A. Guernsey.
Thomas also was charged as a fourth habitual offender. Magistrate Jake Dickerson set bond at $500,000, and Thomas was being held at the Jackson County Jail, the prosecutor’s office said.
The investigation began with a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, state police said. The Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigates online exploitation of children, including suspected possession or distribution of child sexually abusive material. Investigators later executed a search warrant at Thomas’ residence and seized digital evidence.
The charges of aggravated child sexually abusive activity and using a computer to commit a crime each carry possible sentences of up to 20 years in prison. If Thomas is convicted as a fourth habitual offender, his sentence could be enhanced up to life in prison, officials said.
State police said the Ann Arbor Police Department, Clinton County Sheriff’s Office and Michigan Department of Corrections assisted in the investigation.
The charges are accusations, and Thomas is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.
