ATTLEBORO — A city man was arraigned Friday on child pornography charges in Attleboro District Court related to an investigation by federal agents and local police.
Christopher D. Dahlbeck, 31, of 300 Handy St., pleaded innocent to distributing obscene matter, distributing material of a child in a sexual act and possession of child pornography.
Bail was set at $1,000 cash with conditions of release including wearing a GPS bracelet programmed to alarm officials if he goes near a school or playground in Attleboro.
His home is near the Hyman Fine Elementary School.
Dahlbeck was also ordered to stay away from children under 16 and submit to random drug and alcohol tests. He is also prohibited from using the internet.
He was expected to post the bail.
Police allege he downloaded a peer-to-peer computer file sharing program to access child pornography and had two images of child porn on his laptop, which was seized for further analysis, according to a police report.
In addition, a federal agent for U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, allegedly downloaded child porn files from the defendant’s computer on the file sharing network, according to a prosecutor and a police report.
His lawyer, Frank Camera of Fall River, disputed the evidence in the case.
“There is no evidence in the police report that he disseminated or distributed child pornography,” Camera said.
Dahlbeck was arrested Thursday afternoon, a day after police executed a search warrant at his home and seized his laptop computer. Police obtained an arrest warrant after a federal agent performed a forensic examination of the device and allegedly found the two child pornography images, according to a police report.
During an interview with police, Dahlbeck allegedly admitted to downloading child pornography after saying he only downloaded music files, according to the police report.
Assistant District Attorney Natasha Azevedo recommended $10,000 cash bail, because of the seriousness of the charges. She also cited his criminal record of domestic assault and breaking and entering.
Camera said the charges were ultimately dismissed.
Police also allege Dahlbeck and his husband, Cory J. Dahlbeck, 26, of the same address, resisted arrest. Cory Dahlbeck also allegedly interfered with police when they went to the house to serve an arrest warrant on Christopher Dahlbeck.
Before Christopher Dahlbeck was arrested, Camera said he spoke to him and had arranged to have his client surrender to police. He said his client was surprised when police showed up with a warrant.
A woman who answered the door at the house Thursday denied her son, Cory Dahlbeck, resisted arrest.
One neighbor said he was unaware of anything going on at the nearby house and said he knew the family.
“Good people. Never had a problem with them,” he said.
Cory Dahlbeck’s arraignment was postponed pending an assessment by the probation department on whether the Army National Guard veteran qualifies to have the charge dismissed under the state Valor Act.
The cases were continued to next month.