WICHITA – A registered sex offender with ties to Great Bend was convicted Wednesday on federal child pornography charges, U.S. Attorney Stephen McAllister said.

A federal jury convicted Wayne Benjamin Wasson, 59, on four counts of uploading child pornography to the internet and one count of possessing child pornography. He was living in Great Bend at the time he was charged in November 2018.

During trial, a prosecutor presented evidence that Yahoo and Google detected child pornography originating from Wasson’s residence. The digital trail led investigators to Wasson, who admitted he had received child pornography via Skype and had operated a number of other accounts. Investigators found child pornography within the accounts and on Wasson’s devices.

Wasson registered as a sex offender in 2007 following a conviction for possession of child pornography.

Sentencing is set for Dec. 13, 2019. He faces a penalty of not less than 15 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.

Wasson was also booked into the Barton County Jail in April 2017 on a failure to appear charge in a limited-action civil case.

McAllister commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.