TWIN FALLS — A 71-year-old local man hesitated Monday when it came time to enter a plea on felony child pornography charges.

Stephen Ross Barnes, of Twin Falls, who uses a wheelchair and is on oxygen, told District Judge Benjamin Cluff on Monday he didn’t possess images of child pornography, and he was pleading guilty on the advice of his defense attorney.

That brought an end to the hearing.

“If you aren’t admitting to committing a crime," Cluff said, "I cannot accept your plea.”

Court proceedings were delayed as public defender Ira Dillman privately discussed the matter with Barnes, who later submitted an Alford plea on three of the eight charges he originally faced. As part of a plea deal, prosecutors will dismiss the rest of the charges and recommend a prison sentence of eight to 15

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