Rochester Predatory Offender Admits to Child Pornography Charge
Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A Rochester man with a previous child pornography conviction today pleaded guilty to a charge of possession of child pornography.
Twenty-eight-year-old Efram Ciavarelli was charged last fall with one count each of disseminating child pornography by a registered predatory offender and possession of child pornography. Olmsted County court records indicate he was required to register as a predatory offender following a 2018 conviction for possession of child pornography.
READ MORE: Predatory Offender Charged in Rochester Child Porn Case
Snapchat Uploads Led to Criminal Charges
His new conviction stems from an investigation opened by the Rochester Police Department based on a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The criminal complaint states that the tip involved three images of suspected child sexual abuse material uploaded to Snapchat in December 2024.
According to the court document, the sexually explicit images depicted young girls between the ages of 5 and approximately 10 years old.
Search Warrant Executed at Rochester Apartment
The criminal complaint indicates investigators used a subpoena to gather additional information from Snapchat that linked the uploads to Ciavarelli's residence in southeast Rochester. A search warrant was executed at the apartment last September and resulted in the seizure of electronic and storage devices.
Previous Conviction Required Offender Registration
Ciavarelli's 2018 conviction was the result of an investigation into allegations that the Rochester man engaged in sexual activity with a 14-year-old boy he met on the Grindr dating app. Court records say the investigation led to the discovery of "a substantial quantity of images of child pornography, depicting victims ranging from 18 months of age to approximately 16 years of age engaged in sexual acts." The illicit materials were found on his cell phone.
The conviction resulted in a 30-day jail sentence and five years of probation.
His plea agreement covering the new conviction indicates prosecutors will seek a 90-day jail sentence along with probation. Ciavarelli, who had been scheduled to stand trial next month, is now scheduled to appear for a sentencing hearing in August.
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Gallery Credit: Lauren Wells
