By Journal Staff

CURTIS — An 18-year-old Mackinac County man is facing charges that include child sexually abusive activity and beastiality, among others.

The Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office says that Kelton Paul Salowitz, of Portage Township, was engaged in an inappropriate online relationship with a 12-year-old female from Texas. During an investigation that began in June, police say that they discovered Salowitz had been sending and receiving sexually abusive photographs and videos with a minor female.

Salowitz faces 10 counts of aggravated child sexually abusive activity, 11 counts of possession of child sexually abusive material, one count of distributing or promoting child sexually abusive activity, two counts of using a computer to commit crimes and one count of bestiality.

The court set bond at $250,000 cash or surety and Salowitz is due back in court on Saturday according to the sheriff’s office.

The sheriff said that this investigation spanned over eight months, and multiple search warrants were executed between the Killeen, Texas, Police Department, federal Homeland Security investigations and the Mackinac County sheriff. In this investigation, hundreds of photographs and videos of child sexually abusive material were found of not just the original victim, but several more minors that knew the victim.

The primary social media app that was used was Discord, according to the Mackinac County Sheriff’s Office, and it reminds parents to monitor their children’s use of social media and to talk with them regarding the dangers of sending personal information to strangers.