Acting on a tip from a Blue Earth Area Schools social worker, a 39-year-old Blue Earth man has been charged for having sex with a 16-year-old female and possessing pornographic material.

On Monday, Bryan Wayne Jones appeared in Faribault County District Court on charges of third-degree criminal sexual conduct; possessing pornographic work; and exhibiting, selling, printing, offering or giving obscene material to a juvenile.

Jones was arrested Saturday, Feb. 28, after police searched his Blue Earth home. Authorities found miscellaneous CDs and DVRs, two Western digital hard drives, 54 VHS tapes, four cellphones and two computers.

Bail was set at $60,000 without conditions or a $30,000 bond may be posted.

According to a court complaint, a school social worker reported to authorities a 14-year-old girl may have received inappropriate textmessages on her cellphone and another 16-year-old girl was sent flowers at school on three occasions.

The 14-year-old, says the complaint, told authorities that Jones’ daughter bought the cellphone for her. She admitted receiving a pornographic animation and messages from someone named “Bryan” and that she deleted others that were inappropriate.

During an audiotape interview, Jones told police he had sent a few messages with sexual contact to the girl.

The 16-year-old told authorities she was just friends with Jones and that he had sent her flowers at school. The complaint states that pornographic pictures she sent to Jones were of herself.

While interviewed again, she told authorities she wrote in her notebook, “I had sex with him.”

She said the sex was consensual and occurred at Jones’ home while no one else was there.

The complaint states Jones felt like a parent to the girl and that she thought of him as a father figure. He admitted pictures he received from the girl on his cellphone were of her.

The maximum penalty for third-degree criminal sexual conduct is 15 years and a $30,000 fine. Possession of pornographic material carries a penalty of five years and a $5,000 fine, while distributing obscene material has maximum sentence of one year and a $3,000 fine.