A Casper man will remain in custody while awaiting trial on child pornography charges, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.

"This is something I've introspected a lot about," U.S. District Court Magistrate Judge Michael Shickich said.

Parsons, 23, is charged with one count of possession of child pornography, punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, and one count of receiving child pornography, punishable by five years to life imprisonment.

In December, Parsons was arrested on one count of possession of child pornography and made his initial appearance. The case went to a grand jury, which handed down the indictment last week with the new charges, Shickich said.

Last month, Shickich reluctantly agreed with the prosecution to order him detained. Family members, joined by members of their church, told the judge they had been helping their son monitor his anger.

Wednesday, Parsons was arraigned and he pleaded not guilty. Shickich set the trial date for March 8 in Cheyenne.

A psychologist interviewed Parsons since his first court appearance and concluded he did not pose a danger to the community, but the federal probation office disagreed, Shickich said.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Sprecher said Parsons should remain in custody because the psychologist only interviewed him and did not conduct a full analysis. He also should remain in custody because of the nature of the charges, and the violent images and statements he has made on social media, Sprecher said.

Parsons' defense attorney Daniel Blythe responded that it is impossible to predict future behavior. Likewise, many people express anger and violent thoughts without ever acting on them, Blythe said.

Shickich said he's thought a lot about this case, which is all the more poignant because of the support Parsons has from his family and church.

While Parsons is innocent until proven guilty, Shickich said he has to weigh all the evidence available before making a decision about detention. "I'm not indicting you, but dealing with the consequences of your actions."

The judge read several of the statements Parsons has made on his phone and social media sites such as, "'if you betray me it will make me angry and I will kill you.'"

Likewise the images that investigators found showed graphic actions against very young children, Schickich said.

"My job is not to agree with the law but to apply the law," he said. "I come down on the side that you remain in custody."

Shickich added that he hopes Parsons can transcend this time and he thanked the family and church members for showing their support in the courtroom.

More From K2 Radio