Independence man is charged with possession of child pornography

A 46-year-old Independence man has been charged with three counts of possession of child pornography, prosecutors said Thursday.

Darren S. O’Dell was arrested by the Missouri Highway Patrol on Wednesday after a lengthy investigation by a state task force devoted to crimes against children online. Officers monitoring the Internet traced downloads of child pornography to O’Dell’s home, according to court records.

Jackson County prosecutors filed charges against O’Dell earlier this week. Investigators found thousands of files of alleged child pornography files on O’Dell’s computer, including video of three children involved in sex acts.

O’Dell was held Thursday in the Jackson County jail, with bond set at $50,000 cash.

The Missouri Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, which investigated the case, is funded by the U.S. Department of Justice’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency.

Ian Cummings: 816-234-4633, @Ian__Cummings

This story was originally published November 5, 2015 at 5:20 PM with the headline "Independence man is charged with possession of child pornography."