Isabella man charged with possession of child pornography and computer crime

A 26-year-old Union Township man is facing eight felony counts related to child pornography in Isabella County Trial Court.

Magistrate Aaron Miller charged JiAire Dion Rodriguez Tuesday afternoon with three counts of child sexual abuse, a 20-year felony; three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, a four-year felony; and two counts of using a computer to commit a crime, with the first count being a seven-year felony and the second a twenty-year felony.

Miller ordered Rodriguez, who pleaded not guilty, to remain in the Isabella County Jail in lieu of $25,000 bail, according to court records.

Rodriguez faces a preliminary hearing in Isabella County Judge Sara Spencer-Noggle’s courtroom on Nov. 27 at 1:15 p.m.

Rodriguez is accused of having child pornography on his cell phone, which court records say was discovered by the mother of his child in February 2022.

A therapist called Isabella County Central Dispatch after the woman reported seeing the images on Rodriguez’s phone, prompting an investigation by the Isabella County Sheriff’s Office, according to court records.

The woman, who is not in a dating relationship with Rodriquez but the two share a 2-year-old son, told police she took Rodriguez to work on Feb. 12, 2022, and then unlocked his phone for their son, finding a file that read “multiple videos that appeared to be child pornography” featuring children who appeared to be 5 to 10 years old, according to the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint.

Once she realized what she was seeing, she didn’t open anything else in the file, but estimated there were more than 25 videos, according to court records.

She also told police that the phone was not Rodriguez’s primary phone; Police issued a search warrant to seize both phones.

After telling police they would find child pornography on the phones, Rodriguez refused to say anything else, court records show.

According to court records, police found 98 downloads of what appeared to be child pornography on one phone and 160 on the other.