Late last month, Canadian County Sheriff's deputies working with the Oklahoma Internet Crimes Against Children task force arrested a Yukon man who allegedly distributed child pornography to an undercover ICAC agent. Deputies say the amount of child pornography they discovered when serving a search warrant at the home of 64-year-old Dennis Mullins was shocking.
According to one report, deputies discovered a computer with nearly 35,000 pictures of child pornography and hundreds of videos of children engaging in sex acts.
Canadian County Sheriff Randall Edwards told reporters that Mullins admitted to downloading child pornography, but that he denied knowingly distributing it. However, at the time the search warrant was served, deputies say, Mullins's computer was actively sharing child pornography files.
Lieutenant Adam Flowers said that Mullins admitted to downloading child pornography for decades, but said he tried to minimize any wrongdoing. Flowers told reporters, "He tried to say, 'You know I've done a lot of good things. You know I've done some bad things, but I've done a lot of good things. I work with the community. I work with children, and I'm a counselor. I help people out at my church. I go to church Sunday.'"
Sheriff Randall Edwards concurred with Flowers's assessment, saying, "Mullins attempted to downplay the situation and advised us that he was a church counselor, and then told my deputies 'Just turn off the computer, and go away,' as if we were supposed to act like it had never happened."
Several local media outlets report that Mullins agreed to take a polygraph test after his arrest. However, when the test administrator asked Mullins if he had ever molested children, he refused to answer any more questions and stopped the test, asking for a lawyer. Mullins has previously been the subject of an Oklahoma Department of Human Services (DHS) investigation after allegations of inappropriate contact with family members.
Mullins was arrested on multiple complaints, including aggravated possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, and production of child pornography. His bond was set at $200,000.
Although there is already apparently overwhelming evidence against Mullins, he likely made things harder on himself by agreeing to speak with investigators without an attorney. Rather than admitting anything to deputies, he should have immediately asked for a lawyer. He should have refused to take the polygraph test from the outset, rather than starting the test and then changing his mind partway through.
Anyone suspected of a crime is cautioned against talking to police--or anyone else for that matter--without the advice and the presence of an attorney. Having effective assistance of counsel is a constitutional right. To find an attorney to protect your rights, click here to submit a confidential case analysis form.
