New Haven ― A Norwich man appeared in court Friday and was ordered detained for a child exploitation offense, according to a news release.

Sheldon Thomson, 34, was arrested on a federal criminal complaint charging him with possession of child pornography.

In 2007, Thomson was convicted in state court of sexual assault in the first degree, involving sexual intercourse with a person under the age of 13, and risk of injury to a child. He was released from prison in November 2015 and began serving probation.

In May, Thomson’s state probation officer seized multiple cell phones, a tablet and a storage card from Thomson’s vehicle and residence. Analysis of the seized devices revealed numerous images and video depicting the sexual abuse of children.

If convicted of possession of child pornography, Thomson faces a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of 10 years and a maximum term of imprisonment of 20 years. The penalties in this matter are enhanced based on Thomson’s prior conviction.

Vanessa Roberts Avery, U.S. Attorney for the District of Connecticut, stressed in the release that a complaint is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt.

This matter is being investigated by Homeland Security Investigations with the assistance of Connecticut’s Office of Adult Probation. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Daniel E. Cummings.

This prosecution is part of the U.S. Department of Justice’s Project Safe Childhood Initiative, which is aimed at protecting children from sexual abuse and exploitation. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

To report cases of child exploitation, please visit www.cybertipline.com.