A Rochester man has been charged with two felonies after police say sexually explicit photographs of a child under 14 were located on his cellphone. Rotimi Samuel Olawale, 58, is charged in Olmsted County Court with one count of use of a minor in a sexual performance or pornographic work and one count of possession of pornographic work, according to a criminal complaint filed Monday.
Search warrant at workplace leads to seized phone
Rochester police received a report about the images on the night of July 16 and obtained a search warrant for the suspect's electronic devices. Officers executed the warrant at Olawale’s place of employment and seized a phone he had with him, the complaint states.
Investigators say the explicit pictures were found in the phone’s trash folder and were taken shortly before 9 a.m. on July 16 at a Rochester residence. The complaint indicates the images depicted the victim asleep.
"The court document says officers found lewd images of the victim that were taken while she was asleep at a Rochester home," the complaint reads.
Arrest and next steps
Olmsted County Adult Detention Center records show Olawale was booked into the county jail shortly after 3 p.m. Friday. He denied taking the photographs, according to the criminal complaint. He is scheduled to make his first court appearance Monday afternoon.
- Defendant: Rotimi Samuel Olawale, 58
- Charges: Use of a minor in sexual performance/pornographic work (felony); possession of pornographic work (felony)
- Alleged victim: under age 14
- Key evidence: explicit images located in phone’s trash folder
- Incident date: images taken shortly before 9 a.m., July 16
- Arrest/booked: shortly after 3 p.m. Friday
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Investigation began | Report to Rochester police, night of July 16 |
| Evidence seized | Phone taken during workplace search warrant |
| Location of images | Phone's trash folder |
The charges carry significant legal consequences and will be handled through Olmsted County's criminal justice process. The complaint does not provide additional details about the circumstances in the home or the relationship, if any, between the defendant and the victim. Prosecutors will present the evidence in court at upcoming proceedings.
Child sexual-exploitation cases often hinge on digital forensic analysis of devices and chain-of-custody for electronic evidence. The filing notes investigators secured a warrant before seizing electronic devices at the workplace, a step that typically aims to ensure admissibility of material recovered from phones and computers in court.
More information, including any formal indictment or plea, will be available through public court records as the case proceeds. For residents concerned about child safety, Rochester police and county victim services can provide resources and guidance on reporting suspected abuse.
