By Justin Glawe / Bwemidji Pioneer
BEMIDJI -- A Bemidji man already serving a 12-year sentence for sexually assaulting an 11-year-old was sentenced July 8 for an additional charge of child pornography possession.
Tyler Michael Gabrelcik, 20, was convicted of the single count of possessing child pornography by Beltrami District Judge John Melbye, and sentenced to 30 months at the St. Cloud Correctional Facility. The prison is where Gabrelcik has been serving his sentence for a charge of first-degree criminal sexual conduct, of which he was convicted on in October 2012.
Gabrelcik's cell phone and other electronics were seized following his arrest for that charge, according to a criminal complaint filed by the Beltrami County Attorney's Office.
Among the files found on the devices by the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension were images of child porn.
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During their investigation into Gabrelcik's sexual assault of the victim, investigators learned that he had shown the victim two images of nude females on his phone.
In addition to displaying the images to the child, Gabrelcik asked the victim, who was known to him, to remove clothing on multiple occasions and touched the victim inappropriately, according to the complaint.
The abuse took place in the summer of 2011, and the victim was apprehensive about coming forward with the allegations. Gabrelcik threatened the victim, saying that if she "told, she would go to jail," the complaint stated.
