An Oklahoma man under investigation for aggravated possession of child pornography in Stillwater has been arrested and charged in Oklahoma County District Court with 67 criminal counts related to sex crimes involving minors.

William Joe Pate, 30, of Edmond, is currently held on $670,000 bond in the Oklahoma County Jail, charged with the following crimes:

• 8 counts of sexual abuse of a child (21 O.S. § 843.5)
• 2 counts of aggravated possession of child pornography (21 O.S. § 1040.12a)
• 57 counts of taking clandestine photographs (21 O.S. § 1171)

Reports say that Stillwater police investigating child pornography identified Pate as a suspect when they tracked an IP address to his home.

Edmond police served a search warrant at the man's home, where they allegedly uncovered more than 3,000 images of child pornography, including 2,345 images, 905 videos, and 57 clandestine videos taken of young males as they showered in the man's home.

Additionally, a 14-year-old boy, who was friends with another young boy over whom Pate had legal guardianship, told police that he had sexual contact with the the man at Pate's home and that he had sex with the suspect at an area hotel. Pate's accuser is reportedly a foster child. DHS says that the man passed all background checks to be approved for overnight visits with the boy, but that he is not now, nor has he ever been, a foster parent or DHS employee.

The charges against Pate are serious. Child sexual abuse and aggravated possession of child pornography are felonies. Both are punishable by a maximum of life in prison. Aggravated possession of child pornography is a Level I sex offense.

In Oklahoma, anyone convicted of this crime must register as a sex offender for 15 years.Child sexual abuse is a Level III sex offense. Oklahoma mandates lifetime sex offender registration for anyone convicted of a Level III sex crime.

While being a peeping tom, or loitering or hiding to spy on someone who has a reasonable expectation of privacy, is a misdemeanor, secretly photographing or taking video of someone for the purpose of the viewer's sexual gratification and in a place where the subject of the video has a reasonable expectation of privacy is a felony:

B. Every person who uses photographic, electronic or video equipment in a clandestine manner for any illegal, illegitimate, prurient, lewd or lascivious purpose with the unlawful and willful intent to view, watch, gaze or look upon any person without the knowledge and consent of such person when the person viewed is in a place where there is a right to a reasonable expectation of privacy, or who publishes or distributes any image obtained from such act, shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony. The violator shall be punished by imprisonment in the custody of the Department of Corrections for a term of not more than five (5) years, or by a fine not exceeding Five Thousand Dollars ($5,000.00), or by both such fine and imprisonment. 21 O.S. § 1171(B)

With a maximum of 5 years in prison, the sentence for those 57 counts could add up quickly.