MCDOWELL COUNTY, N.C. (FOX Carolina) - The McDowell County Sheriff’s Office reports a man was charged with child sex crimes.

Deputies said they conducted an investigation in April into inappropriate contact between a female juvenile and 59-year-old Rick Lynn Messer.

Detectives found inappropriate photos of underage girls, as well as multiple searches and downloads of child sexual abuse material from the Internet, according to deputies.

Messer was charged with three counts of third-degree sexual exploitation of a minor and six counts of secret peeping. He was issued a $250,000 secured bond, officials said.

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