A Minot man has been arrested and charged with eight felonies for chats soliciting child sexual abuse material or CSAM.

Tony Justin Lynch, 39, Minot, made his initial appearance in North Central District Court on Friday. Lynch faces four Class B felony counts of promoting a sexual performance by a minor and four counts of possession of certain materials prohibited.

According to the affidavit of probable cause, Lynch was identified as the individual behind an account linked to a cybertip referred to the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation by the Naitonal Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The cybertip was submitted by an electronic service provider (ESP) for a messaging app regarding about 10 files of apparent CSAM sent by the account in December 2024, involving children between the ages of 2 and 13.

BCI agents analyzed data from the ESP, which included several images of an individual identified as Lynch. Investigators determined the IP address used by the account was connected to a Minot hotel where Lynch was renting a room at the time the images were sent. According to the affidavit, chats associated with Lynch’s account discussed acquiring CSAM files with several other users on the app, as well as fantasies Lynch had for a juvenile household member.

Lynch is in custody at the Ward County Jail, and is scheduled for a preliminary hearing on April 3.