SOUTH PADRE ISLAND — A 69-year-old South Padre Island man charged with child pornography will remain in federal custody until further court proceedings after he was deemed a flight risk.
Howard William Halverson appeared in federal court Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ronald G. Morgan, who ordered he remain detained without bond pending his trial.
The order signed by Morgan reads, “The Court, after further review of the PSA Report and after hearing arguments of counsel, finds the risk of flight has not been overcome and short of detention, there is no condition or combination of conditions that would reasonably assure the defendant’s appearance at further court proceedings or safeguard the community.”
Halverson was arrested July 7 at his South Padre Island home.
Authorities allege that computers belonging to Halverson contained 600 files of child pornography.
According to a criminal complaint, Homeland Security Investigation agents served a search warrant at Halverson’s home on July 7 and found two laptop computers and several external hard drives that contained child pornography. Six hundred files were found, the complaint said.
The criminal complaint states that when authorities searched Halverson’s residence they found “open files of child pornography on the computer sitting at the dining room table.”
Halverson was taken into custody and remains jailed with a no bond.
