SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (AP) - A trial has been scheduled for the former Sioux Falls fire chief whose child pornography case has been delayed multiple times.
Jim Sideras was arrested a year ago and charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography. The case was scheduled this week to go to jury trial in June, the Argus Leader reported .
It’s been delayed numerous times for defense requests, which is common since it can be time-consuming to download data and sift through forensic evidence.
But an expert on crimes against children has said Sideras’ jury trial isn’t so common.
David Finkelhor, director of the Crimes Against Children Research Center, said the majority of child pornography cases end with a plea. He expects the same for Sideras.
“The defense does not want a jury of ordinary people to see these images,” said Finkelhor. “Even if they’re not sure the age of the children, it’s still jarring.”
Sideras’ attorney, Leo Flynn, said the delays are routine. Flynn expects to go to trial in June.
Minnehaha County State’s Attorney Aaron McGowan is prosecuting the case. McGowan declined to comment, but said that trial delays depend on the “facts, circumstances, evidence and the availability of expert witnesses.”
The charges tied to Sideras’ case involve specific photographs of children ranging ages 4 to 11, according to court documents.
Authorities also found chatroom conversations and photo exchanges with an email account that law enforcement traced back to Sideras’ Sioux Falls home.
Law enforcement asked Sideras if he recognized the email account. He responded, “Kind of, but I’m not going to say anymore,” according to court documents.
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Information from: Argus Leader, http://www.argusleader.com
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