Rory Koch, Minnesota Political Aide, Faces Child Porn Charges (VIDEO)

Minnesota House of Representative aide Rory Koch was hit with child porn charges this week.

According to a criminal complaint obtained by the Pioneer Press, the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was told by AOL in June 2009 that a user with the screen name "Chadwhite73" could be dispersing child pornography via email.

"With an administrative subpoena, police learned the account holder for the user name and email account was Koch," the paper reported.

Cops searched Koch's house and, according to the complaint, Koch admitted he had received child pornography over the Internet, but that he had tried to delete it as soon as he got it. A search of Koch's computer turned up several pictures of child pornography, the complaint said.

City Pages notes that after Koch was busted in 2009, Koch continued his 2010 campaign for Ramsey County Commissioner.

He ended up getting 25 percent of the vote.

From City Pages:

The investigative process has to take its course with a presumption of innocence, but given that a search caught Koch red-handed with child porn two months before the November 2010 election, in an ideal world that seems like information Ramsey County voters probably would've liked to have known, doesn't it?

MyFox9 reports that Koch pleaded not guilty to all 12 charges. If convicted, he faces a maximum of five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.