Child porn case against local man dismissed but investigation into possible child slavery continues

DETROIT (WXYZ) - He's at the center of what federal sources say could turn out to be a child slavery and sex assault case, but today the 52-year-old Dearborn Heights man was released from custody and he spoke to 7 Action News.

When asked about suspected child porn videos that FBI agents say were found on his phone, he claimed they were from "some crazy schmuck that I never responded to them."

On Thursday, federal prosecutors dismissed the Possession of Child Pornography charge against the man telling 7 Action News that they need more time to investigate the case that involves five children that were found at the man's home in Dearborn Heights.

The youngest child is a six-year-old boy. The oldest is a 15-year-old girl. And federal investigators say they found pornographic videos of some of the children on the man's cell phone. We're told explicit text messages between the man and the 15-year-old girl were also taken as evidence.

In the criminal complaint, an FBI agent writes that some of the text messages referenced the man "possibly purchasing access to some or all of the female children."

The children were placed in protective custody.

7 Action News is not identifying the man because the child porn charge was dropped.

Moments after he was released by U.S. Marshals he talked about the children involved.

"They're my grandchildren," has said and denied any wrongdoing.

In 1987, a Macomb County jury convicted the man of 1st Degree Criminal Sexual Conduct. He says that case involved a woman he gave an cost estimate to for work around her house. He claims he was falsely identified and spent 25 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

"It's very easy to catch a case like this. Just someone pointing the finger and boom that's it," he said.

Stay with 7 Action News for updates on the ongoing federal investigation.