ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — A former computer programmer with the Minnesota secretary of state’s office has pleaded guilty to possessing child pornography discovered on his work computer.

Forty-year-old Jeffrey Thomas Whitney of Hudson, Wis., pleaded guilty Monday in Ramsey County to seven felony counts of possession of child pornography.

According to the St. Paul Pioneer Press, Whitney said he worked as a subcontractor at the time he downloaded the videos and images.

Whitney, formerly of Brooklyn Park, originally was charged with 15 counts of possession of child pornography. The remaining counts will be dismissed at his Jan. 11 sentencing.

The complaint says Whitney had more than 1,400 image files and 22 movie or video files on the computer at his office. They were discovered through the secretary of state’s online detection software.

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