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Washtenaw County man arrested in California for child sexually abusive material

Posted at 10:47 AM, Feb 12, 2019
and last updated 2019-02-12 17:23:57-05

ANN ARBOR, Mich. (WXYZ) — A 56-year-old Washtenaw County man was arrested in California for alleged child sexually abusive activity, police say.

An investigation into Stephen Ott stemmed from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children Cyber tip. Further investigation by Michigan State Police Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led to a home in Washtenaw County where Ott was living.

Inside the home, authorities found "multiple internet capable devices and evidence." An arrest warrant was issued, and Ott was later arrested in California.

Officials say he has been charged with two counts of child sexually abusive activity, three counts of possession of child sexually abusive activity and one count of using a computer to commit a crime.

Ott was arraigned in Michigan on all counts on Feb. 9 and issued a cash or surety bond of $100,000.

If convicted, Ott faces up to 20 years in prison for child sexually abusive activity, four years in prison for each count of possession of child sexually abusive material and four to twenty years in prison for the count of using a computer to commit a crime.