ROCHESTER, Minn. — Twenty-one new charges have been filed against a Rochester, Minn., man already facing 32 felonies for possessing pornography that involved minors.
Olmsted County District Court records indicate that a third case was filed with the court Monday, March 22, 2021. As part of the criminal complaint, prosecutors have asked for a warrant to be issued for the arrest of Arkady Pichurin.
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"The arrest of Pichurin is necessary to prevent harm to another," the criminal complaint ends.
Pichurin, 26, was released on $100,000 conditional bail earlier in March, according to court records.
In the new case, Pichurin faces 10 counts of use of a minor in sexual performance/pornographic work, 10 counts of possession of pornographic work of a person under 13, and one count of soliciting a juvenile.
In December 2020, two tips were referred to the Rochester Police Department. A month later, police received three more tips.
"According to the tip, six files were uploaded and those files were recognized as being previously submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children," the criminal complaint states.
The IP address was identified as belonging to Pichurin. All three cases stem from the same search warrant that police executed on Jan. 15.
In the most recent case, Pichurin is alleged to have exchanged sexually explicit Snapchat videos and images with a 9-year-old Wisconsin girl. The girl told investigators she began speaking to a boy who said he was 14 years old around Halloween. The girl did not know the boy's name, but he would send her videos of his genitals and asked that she do the same.
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"At times (the girl) would tell the male that she did not want to send videos or pictures, but he told her that she needed to," the complaint reads. "The male told (the girl) he would like her to be his girlfriend. (The girl) believed that Pichurin lived three hours from her."
An arraignment on the newest charges had not been scheduled as of Monday afternoon.
Pichurin made his first appearance in Olmsted County District Court on Jan. 19 on 10 counts of possession of pornographic work. At that time, Judge Lisa Hayne set conditional bail at $0 and unconditional bail at $50,000. Court records indicate that Pichurin posted the unconditional bail.
On March 4, Pichurin made his first appearance in a second case charging him with 10 counts of use of minor in sexual performance/pornographic work, one count of dissemination pornographic work involving a minor, 10 counts of possession of pornographic work of a person younger than 13 and one count of soliciting a juvenile.
Judge Hayne set conditional bail at $100,000 and unconditional bail at $300,000.
An amended criminal complaint was also filed at that time in the first case.
He is scheduled to appear in court on both of those cases on April 22.