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Lewd photos found in children’s gloves, coat pockets at Iowa stores

Posted at 5:28 PM, Dec 13, 2017
and last updated 2017-12-13 17:28:32-05

ATLANTIC, Iowa -- Police are investigating dozens of pornographic photos found hidden inside items at a store in the Iowa town of Atlantic.

According to police, a customer at Orscheln's Farm and Home store was trying on a pair of gloves when she found a picture of a man's genitals inside on Friday. When police arrived on the scene, they searched the store and found the pictures hidden only in women and children’s gloves and coat pockets.

“It’s a little bizarre, we’ve never had anything like this happen before,” says Atlantic Police Chief David Erickson.

Investigators also found the same inappropriate images at the local Walmart a few days later. Police are working with the store to scrub through its nearly 60 surveillance cameras. Orscheln’s does not have security cameras. Erickson says tracking down a suspect will take time.

“We don’t know if it’s a self-snapshot or copy of a copy out of a magazine,” he says. “There’s no video in one of the stores, they didn’t see anybody put the pictures in there, and there were quite a few copies of that certain photograph of genitals put into gloves.”

Authorities recovered more than 20 photos between the two stores. The suspect faces dissemination of pornographic material charges if arrested.