Judge rules on motions to suppress evidence in case of Madison Twp. man charged with 101 counts of child porn

A ruling came Monday in Butler County Common Pleas Court in a defense motion to suppress evidence for search warrants served in the case of a Madison Twp. man charged with 101 counts of child pornography.

Trevor Fraley, 26, of Dickey Road was back in court to hear a decision by Judge Michael Oster to the motion filed by attorney Chris Pagan in March 2020 that questioned the legality of 15 search warrants served as part of the investigation.

The motion involved items taken from a Middletown home on Crawford Street, cell phone, computers and other electronic devices.

Pagan argued some of the multiple search warrants were not properly signed by the magistrate and relied on an uncorroborated statement from a woman with a drug addiction and a case through Butler County Children Services.

Oster ruled a portion of some search warrants, including some electronics, would be suppressed, but the majority of the evidence seized, including from Fraley’s phone, can be used at trial.

Fraley was indicted in November 2019 on multiple counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a child and illegal use of a minor in nudity-oriented material or performance.

Fraley has pleaded not guilty to all charges. Oster previously set bond for Fraley at $500,000. As part of the bond, Oster also ordered that Fraley wear a GPS monitor, have no contact with any children, including his own, have no internet access and report twice per week to pretrial services. He is free on bond.

Fraley’s trial is scheduled to begin Aug. 31.

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