A police search at a home in Fowlerville has led to the authorization of child pornography charges against an area man.

35-year-old James Witgen of Fowlerville is charged with three counts each of child sexually abusive activity and possession of child sexually abusive material, and six counts of using a computer to commit a crime. He was arraigned on all counts in 53rd District Court in Howell Tuesday.

Witgen was arrested on October 15th by Michigan State Police (MSP) troopers from the Brighton Post, following an investigation conducted by the MSP Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force. The investigation stemmed from a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Further investigation led to locating a residence in Fowlerville, where a search of the home netted multiple internet capable devices and evidence.

Witgen is being held in the Livingston County Jail on a $1 million cash/surety bond. He returns to court October 24th for a probable cause conference. Court records show the charges against Witgen stem from an incident that occurred August 13th. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison for each count of child sexually abusive activity, four years in prison for each count of possession of child sexually abusive material and seven years in prison for each count of using of a computer to commit a crime.

Witgen is also charged in Livingston County in a separate case in which he is facing one count of 2nd degree criminal sexual conduct stemming from an incident said to have occurred this past February.