Hamilton man arrested on state porn charges

Zachary Lowery

Article contributed by The Journal Record

By ED HOWELL
Assistant News Editor

HAMILTON  - A Hamilton man is being held on a $200,000 bond for state charges of possessing child pornography on his computer, and could soon face federal charges as well.
Investigator Damian Allen of the Marion County Sheriff’s Department said on Friday, July 22, that Zachary Lowery, 29, Hamilton, was arrested on Wednesday, July 13, for six counts of possession of child pornography. He is being held in the Marion County Jail in Hamilton.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security was involved in the investigation.

“It was just part of an investigation they were working,” Allen said, adding he thinks the federal investigation started in early November 2015.

Agents had been investigating online and talked to a female several months ago, he said. The female provided information to the agents, leading them to Lowery.

“She had allowed him to use her Wi-Fi” in Hamilton, he said. “They talked to him and he gave up his computer initially. They found some images and they came back with a federal search warrant, and took all his computers off to be analyzed.” He was charged (by the sheriff’s department) on the state level then. At that point, the sheriff’s department arrested Lowery on state charges. Once computer forensics are performed, Lowery could be indicted on federal charges, Allen said. He will remain at the county jail until he is indicted, unless he makes bond.

The woman involved provided her computers for analysis, but no pornographic material was on them, Allen said. No others are expected to be charged in the case.

“There are probably more charges pending on him, but as far as anyone else, no,” he said.
Allen said he did not know how long Lowery could have allegedly been dealing in child pornography.

(When a defendant is charged with a crime, the charge is merely an accusation and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.)