A Fayette man will face a bench trial next week on eight counts of possession of child pornography. Roylee Jeffry Poland, 36, was charged on Aug. 26 with eight counts of possessing child pornography, which depicts children possibly as young as six years old engaging in sexual acts, stemming from an investigation that began in 2022.

In court last Wednesday, Nov. 19, Poland waived his right to both a preliminary hearing and a trial by jury. He will face a bench trial presided over by Judge Scott Hayes at 9:10 a.m. next Wednesday, Dec. 3, in Howard County Court. He is represented by public defender Aaron Rowley of Moberly.

If convicted, Poland faces punishments of between five and 15 years in prison for each of the six Class B felonies, and up to seven years in prison, along with fines of up to $10,000, for each of the two Class D felonies for which he is charged.

An investigation against Poland began in 2022 after he complained to police that he was being extorted with images of child pornography by someone named “Misty” on the social media app, Telegram. He claimed the hacker placed child pornography on his computer and demanded payment of $150 or he would alert law enforcement. Officers later seized the computer. Further forensic investigations revealed that photos of nude children had been on the computer since before Poland claimed he had been hacked.

Poland was initially arrested on Sept. 16 of that year. He is being held without bond in the Cooper County Jail due to a familial conflict at the Howard County Jail.