Minnesota man wanted in child porn case arrested in Iron County

March 10, 2019 Utah Channel 3

ST. GEORGE — A man wanted in Minnesota on child pornography charges is in custody in Iron County after an alert deputy reportedly found the man sleeping in his vehicle in Parowan Saturday morning.

L-R: Iron County and Stearns County, Minn., booking photos show Shawn Michael Winkels, of St. Paul, Minn. Iron Counry photo taken March 9, 2019; Stearns County photo taken Jan. 20, 2019 | Photos courtesy of Iron County Sheriff’s Office and Stearns County Jail, St. George News / Cedar City News

Shawn Michael Winkels, 28, is being held at the Iron County Jail without bail on a warrant issued out of Stearns County, Minnesota, for allegedly downloading child pornography, according to arrest records.

In the Minnesota case, KNSI Radio reports that Winkels was charged with 10 counts of pornographic works involving minors after investigators executed a search warrant on his home in Cold Springs, Minnesota, and a forensic analysis of his computer allegedly revealed 10 pornographic videos depicting children as young as 8 years old.

Winkels was arrested Jan. 20 and released after posting $30,000 bail three days later. After he failed to appear in court Feb. 27, a warrant was issued for his arrest.

On Saturday, an Iron County Sheriff’s deputy observed what appeared to be an abandoned vehicle in the parking lot of a retail store in Parowan. Upon further inspection, the deputy found Winkels asleep inside of the vehicle, according to the probable cause statement written in support of the arrest.

After a check on Winkels’ driver’s license came back with the warrant out of Minnesota, he was arrested and transported to the Iron County Jail.

After communicating with Stearns County authorities in Minnesota, the deputy learned that the warrant was “for a full extradition,” at which time the no-bail order to hold Winkels was submitted and signed, according to Cedar City District Court records.

Iron County Sheriff’s Lt. Del Schlosser said the fugitive charge and bail order allows Iron County to hold the defendant in jail without bail while extradition arrangements in Minnesota are worked out.

Cedar City News confirmed the charges and warrant with the Stearns County Jail in St. Cloud, Minnesota, Sunday.

Ed note: Correction: On first publish, this report incorrectly referred to the Parowan Gap as a clothing store. Report revised accordingly.

Email: cblowers@stgnews.com

Twitter: @STGnews