PETERSBURG –Investigators discovered images of Petersburg children in connection with the pending criminal case against Tye Leif Petersen, former Petersburg School District maintenance director, who was arrested last fall for multiple charges related to possession and distribution of child pornography.
Petersburg Police Chief Kelly Swihart said he couldn’t comment on the matter but said investigators have not found any pornographic images of local children.
Petersburg parents Tasha and Joe Prus said FBI Special Agent Mathew Judy visited their home Mon., Feb. 17 and showed them several photos of their two daughters, Asia Prus, 20 and Josie Prus, 16.
Two of the photos were of Josie Prus and a group of friends swimming near the bridge at Blind Slough last summer.
Two more images were self-portraits Asia Prus had taken sometime between 2011 and 2012.
Tasha Prus said Judy couldn’t tell her or her husband how Petersen obtained the images of their daughters.
“With Asia’s (photo) there’s no question it came off her phone,” Tasha Prus said. “She didn’t send it to any social media. She had taken some pictures for her boyfriend that she was going to send to him, but she never did.”
Tasha Prus believes Petersen gained access to Asia Prus’ phone in the locker room while she was at wrestling practice after school.
“Asia said the only way he could have accessed it is when she was wrestling,” Tasha Prus said. “That’s the only time her phone was not on her, when it was in the locker room.”
Tasha Prus said the agent informed her that the images of Asia Prus and Josie Prus were found on a Russian website, along with other girls from the community.
Joe Prus said the FBI agent was verifying photos with other families but none of the images are considered pornographic, by law.
The agent didn’t reveal when or how many images of other children had been found or how Petersen obtained them.
FBI Public Information Officer Kevin Donovan said he is prohibited from commenting on the pending case.
Petersen has plead not-guilty to three charges associated with child pornography and his trial is scheduled for September 15, however his attorney said in a recent court proceeding there was a good possibility that the case will resolve prior to trial.
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