D Walden 
An 18-year-old has been charged in Eau Claire County court Wednesday for charges of possession of child pornography.
Court records show 18-year-old Zachariah Sherman has been charged with two counts of possession of child pornography.
The criminal complaint says Snapchat reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a user had been reported for possession, manufacture and distribution of child pornography that occurred on Dec. 7.
Eau Claire Sheriff’s Office says deputies were aware of the Sherman residence because of a 2018 search warrant for internet crimes against children investigation.
Officials met with Sherman who told deputies how he would use a TOR browser to access the dark web and search for child pornography. He also admitted to law enforcement that he had been sending images of child pornography to others. When asked if it was illegal to possess child pornography, Sherman stated it was.
Sherman also told detectives that he had recently been released from a treatment program and when asked if he was still having urges to view child pornography, he said “I think that my whole life I think I’m going to have temptations but I’m trying to use my resources not to go down that road again”.
When asked to guess the age of those in the photos, Sherman said “probably under 14”, according to the criminal complaint.
Sherman’s signature bond has been set at $5,000 and he is not to use the internet unless his parents are with him. He is scheduled to appear in court next on April 9.
