A 72-year-old Mt. Vernon man was arrested Thursday on child pornography and sex offender registration charges following an unrelated investigation.
The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office says Virgil Higginson faces five counts of possession of child pornography and one count of violating sex offender registration requirements.
Authorities say deputies and detectives initially contacted Higginson while investigating an unrelated matter. Evidence collected during that investigation led to a forensic examination of electronic devices and the subsequent charges.
The arrest involved investigators from both the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office and Mt. Vernon Police Department.
Higginson was taken to the Jefferson County Jail, where he remains pending a pretrial detention hearing.
The investigation remains ongoing.