A Fargo college student and a security guard pleaded innocent in federal court Monday to charges of possessing child pornography.
Christopher James Nichols, 30, and Michael Ellingson, 33, were roommates at 3522 2nd St. N., Fargo, when law enforcement officers raided their home Jan. 25, 2002.
Investigators found numerous computer files that contained child pornography, court records say.
Few details about the investigation have been released. Court records about the investigation remained sealed from public inspection Monday.
Nichols, a computer science student at North Dakota State University, and Ellingson, a security guard in St. Paul, were indicted by a federal grand jury June 5.
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They entered innocent pleas during separate hearings Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen Klein.
Klein released Ellingson and Nichols until trial without requiring them to post a bond.
The judge, however, placed conditions on their pre-trial release, ordering them not to have unsupervised contact with anyone younger than 18.
Klein also ordered Ellingson not to possess computers or access the Internet.
She allowed Nichols to operate a computer, but only to complete college course work.
Both men are scheduled to stand trial in U.S. District Court on Aug. 25.
If convicted, they could be sentenced to five years in prison and fined $250,000.
Readers can reach Forum reporter Jeff Zent at (701) 241-5526
