AUSTIN, Minn. – When detectives went to confiscate child porn from an Austin man’s devices, he explained he had a thing about midgets. “I’m going to be honest with you,” said Jonathan Joseph Norcoss. “I like midgets, and the only thing close to that is small humans.” This is according to a criminal complaint against Norcross. He’s pleaded not guilty. He will see how the midget explanation flies with Judge Natalie Martinez at a pre-trial hearing in May. Meanwhile, Judge Martinez has set bail at $50,000.
Investigation and arrest
In May 2022 the Minnesota Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force received a report from Instagram that a user had uploaded five files of suspected pornographic works involving minors. Austin police investigators traced the information to Norcross. According to the criminal complaint, the investigators confirmed that four files contained images of girls 6 and 11 in lewd postures. When investigators visited Norcross’s home in February 2023, he “did not act surprised, the investigators said. What did Norcross say on the spot? Investigators quoted him admitting first to drawings of small people. Is that illegal, he asked rhetorically. Detective pressed him, asking if by “small humans” he meant kids. Norcross explained: “Yeah, there’s not really midget drawings.”
Confiscacted devices, changes
Detectives seized Norcross’s phone, a laptop, another smartphone, Kodak memory card, a computer tower, an Amazon tablet, and three USB drives. The detectives said they found three files containing child pornography of under-age girls. Jonathan Norcross, age 27, was charged with seven felony counts of possessing child pornographic images. Detectives said they had no evidence earlier than July 2022, when they said Norcross’ phone had been factory reset locally and wiped clean.
Norcross. Fast-food grill cook.