SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (KELO AM) - Authorities say that former Sioux Falls Fire Rescue Chief Jim Sideras has been arrested on child pornography charges.
According to the Minnehaha County Sheriff's Office, Sideras has been arrested on 10 counts of possession of child pornography, a Class 4 felony. If found guilty, Sideras faces up to 10 years in the penitentiary and a $20,000 fine for each count. The case will be handled by Minehaha County States Attorney Aaron McGowan.
Sideras has turned himself in at the Minnehaha County Jail and posted bond. Bond was set at $10,000 cash or surety. An initial court appearance will be scheduled for a later date.
The charges are the result of last week's search of the Sideras home in Sioux Falls. Documents say the search was the result of a tip by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which lead officials in Massachusetts to an IP address recorded in the Sideras household. A second IP address was also allegedly tied to Sideras while he was at a firefighter's convention in San Antonio.
Court documents indicate last week's search yielded computers, smart phones, CD's, and other digital-related material.
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Sideras was retiring after 34 years service with the city to take a job with the South Dakota Healthcare Coalition, but when the May 2 search became public, the city immediately terminated him. He had been scheduled to leave the end of June.
Mayor Mike Huether has released a statement on the Sideras arrest.
“This has been extremely troubling from the onset, and the charges outline why this process is being handled in such a cautious and deliberate fashion. This is terribly unfortunate, but Sioux Falls Fire Rescue has been top notch at saving lives and protecting property, and we won’t skip a beat executing it now,” says Huether.
The Sideras search warrant and related court documents are attached above this story.
(KELO Radio's Mike Leischner contributed to this report)