BENTON, Ill. — A 29-year-old Benton man was ordered detained pending trial Wednesday in Franklin County Court after he pleaded not guilty to multiple child pornography charges.

Austin W. Lee is facing 10 counts of possession of child pornography, Class 2 felonies, each punishable by up to seven years in prison; and five counts of sexual contact/sexual conduct with an animal, Class 4 felonies, each punishable by up to three years in prison.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul’s investigators, with the assistance of the Benton Police Department, conducted a search of Lee’s residence on Oct. 31 in the 600 block of Maple Street in Benton and arrested him after discovering evidence of child pornography and sexual conduct with an animal.

Lee is currently awaiting sentencing in federal court after he pleaded guilty last year to possessing child pornography.

He’s next scheduled to appear in Franklin County Court on December 13 for a pretrial hearing via Zoom.