MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota man charged with child pornography after a search of his home found pictures of naked boys is also a “person of interest” in the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling, whose 1989 abduction led his parents to launch a national center to prevent child exploitation.
Daniel James Heinrich, 52, was charged Thursday with five counts of possessing or receiving child pornography. Richard Thornton, the special agent in charge of the FBI’s office in Minneapolis, said Heinrich is a person of interest in Wetterling’s disappearance, but noted that he has not been charged in that case.
Thornton told a news conference that Heinrich was originally looked at in connection with Wetterling’s abduction and was investigated again when the team of investigators launched a full review aimed at bringing fresh eyes to the case. Wetterling was 11 when he was abducted on Oct. 22, 1989, near his home in the central Minnesota community of St. Joseph.
“The defendant has denied any involvement in the disappearance of Jacob Wetterling,” U.S. Attorney Andy Luger said.
It wasn’t immediately clear if Heinrich had an attorney who could comment on his behalf. The federal defender’s office in Minneapolis did not have a record for him in its system. Heinrich had no home listing, and a cellphone listing for him was disconnected. A number listed for a possible brother did not work.
The disappearance of Wetterling prompted his mother, Patty Wetterling, to become a nationally recognized advocate for the cause of missing children. She and her husband, Jerry, founded the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center, which works to help communities and families prevent child exploitation.
Jacob Wetterling’s parents issued a statement Thursday that said: “The search for Jacob is an ongoing investigation and we will watch and learn like everyone else. Right now we know what is being reported. We know what you all know.”
FBI agent Thornton said improved forensic techniques allowed them to match Heinrich’s DNA to clothing worn by a young boy who was sexually assaulted in the same county about nine months before Wetterling was abducted. That and other evidence led authorities to search Heinrich’s home in Annandale on July 28.
Heinrich was not charged in that sexual assault because the statute of limitations for that crime had expired, Luger said.
The application for the search warrant says authorities wanted to search for items including human remains, a red T-shirt with the name Wetterling on the back and a red hockey team jacket with the name Jacob stitched on the front.
Luger said child pornography found in the search led to the five charges announced Thursday.
Luger said authorities seized items including 19 3-ring binders that contained pictures of naked boys. Some of the boys were known victims of sexual exploitation — but there were no pictures of Wetterling. Authorities also found videotapes of boys carrying out routine activities such as delivering newspapers or riding bikes.
Some of that material was shot with a hidden camera, Luger said.
Jacob Wetterling was riding his bicycle with a brother and a friend when a masked gunman abducted him. He hasn’t been seen since but the case has continued to make news over the past 26 years, as names of potential suspects surfaced and faded and as investigators checked out potential new leads. The family has periodically released updated pictures around the anniversaries of his disappearance, showing what he might look like as an adult.
His kidnapping has haunted law enforcement officers who worked on the case, including some who have since retired. But the Stearns County sheriff’s office has kept the case open and remains committed to solving the case.
“We will not rest as an investigative team until we bring Jacob home,” said Drew Evans, superintendent of the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension.
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Associated Press writers Steve Karnowski contributed from Minneapolis; Kyle Potter contributed from Annandale.
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