GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — Thomas Hungerford, 54, appeared in federal court Thursday morning for a detention hearing in the child pornography case he is facing.
He is accused of sharing hundreds of sexually explicit images and videos of children with an undercover investigator out of Omaha, Nebraska.
His court-appointed defense attorney said in court Thursday that Hungerford would be waiving his right to a preliminary exam and a detention hearing.
Hungerford will remain behind bars until he goes before a grand jury within the next month.
The 54-year-old is also accused of breaking into the girls' locker room at Grandville High School to steal underwear.
He also allegedly bragged online about spying on young girls through their bedroom windows and eventually breaking in to steal their underwear as well.
Investigators write in court documents obtained by FOX 17 that Hungerford "claimed that he had recorded sexual videos of one of the girls with her boyfriend."
According to the documents, Hungerford admitted to being a pedophile.
"Have you admitted to yourself yet that you’re a pedo?” one message allegedly read.
"Took me a long time and I denied it to myself forever. But when I finally admitted to myself that I am a pedo, it’s been like an awakening. … I actually embrace it now.”
While he is currently being held on just one felony count of distributing child pornography, the U.S. Attorney's Office has 30 days to come up with permanent charges.
Those will be determined once the case goes before a grand jury.
Superintendent of Grandville Schools Roger Bearup wrote to parents that "he, like all of our parents, doesn't have unsupervised access to our school during the school day however was in our buildings for athletic events and meetings after school hours."
“We have no evidence that he ever actually entered the girls' locker room at Grandville High School; however, we are investigating."
Hungerford is expected back in court within the next 30 days.
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