Jeffrey K. Ripley was a Benton County Fire Captain for 25 years, now he has pleaded guilty to one count of possessing child porn.

He was noticed by investigators after his conversation with someone that replied to a Craigslist ad he posted.

Police went to his house on June 1, 2016 to talk to him about his internet habits and he invited them inside.

When police asked him if he knew why they were there, he said "it likely was for what he’d been doing online" according to news reports.

Ripley waved his rights and even signed permission for police to scan his electronic devices. That is how they found 47 different images of child porn on his computer and multiple links to similar material.

There were an additional 712 "age difficult" images that can't be confirmed as children so they were not included in the charges of the case.

When asked why he had downloaded child porn he said "That is a good question. I didn’t have any sexual interest in them … I don’t know, maybe curiosity if nothing else."

Ripley also refused to fully admit to the charges in court claiming "I fail to recall those images … but they were on my hard drive and I accept that fact,"

The judge asked "“Are you pleading guilty because you truly are guilty?"

Ripley replied "Yes. Yes, sir,”

Ripley faces 3 years in prison if he accepts the plea deal.

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