A former soldier pleaded guilty Friday to possessing several child porn images on his computer while he was stationed in Hawaii. Justin R. Underwood, 23, of Ellsworth was initially charged in Hawaii's federal court, but the case was transferred to central Illinois, where he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Peoria to possession. He remains free on bond pending his Sept. 4 sentencing before U.S. District Judge Joe McDade. According to court records, Underwood was stationed at Schofield Barracks in Hawaii when he was interviewed by federal agents investigating the possible downloading of child pornography from a peer-to-peer file sharing program. He admitted he downloaded the material and knew it was illegal, but he told the agents he had been abused as a child and was attracted to young girls. He admitted he chatted online with a 13-year-old girl while he was stationed in Iraq. The two never met but did engage in sexually explicit conversations, according to court records. In all, authorities found about 50 images on his computer. ...
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