A Wonewoc man has been charged with three counts of possession of child pornography.

According to the criminal complaint, the Kendall Police Department (KPD) April 23 contacted Wonewoc Police Chief Julie Ott to inform her that Samuel Nichols, 36, was a suspect in a sexual assault that was under investigation.

During an interview with Nichols, a KPD officer  asked if he could search Nichols’ phone. Nichols surrendered his phone, which KPD turned over to the state crime lab in Madison.

An analysis found over 3,000 pictures, some of which were images of child pornography. A search warrant was issued for Nichols’ residence, and authorities seized additional computers and hard drives. A review of those found three images of child pornography.

Nichols was subsequently arrested. His initial court appearance is set for Nov. 18.