Watertown Daily Times | Potsdam man gets probation for having child porn, designated sex offender for life

CANTON — A Potsdam man was designated a Level 2 sex offender Tuesday in St. Lawrence County Court for his conviction of possessing child pornography.

Donald F. Charleson, 39, of 453 Butternut Ridge Road, was sentenced in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office to 10 years of probation for his February 2018 conviction of possessing a video of sexual performance by a child.

On Nov. 21, 2017, in the town of Pierrepont, Charleson had a video of a child, younger than 16, performing oral sex on a man.

As part of the plea deal, Charleson was sentenced following his release from his two-year prison sentence for a violation of probation. He waived his right to appeal and he was designated a Level 2 sex offender following a Sex Offender Registration Assessment hearing, meaning he is at moderate risk of repeat offense and he will have to register as a sex offender for life.

He is also required to pay $1,425 in court fines, fees and surcharges.

In other court action this week:

Chynna N. Simon-Hess, 22, Bayonne, N.J., was sentenced on Tuesday to two years in prison with two years of post-release supervision for her March 28 guilty plea to third-degree attempted criminal possession of a controlled substance. On Sept. 10 in the town of Morristown, Ms. Simon-Hess possessed the narcotic fentanyl with the intent to sell it.

In addition to her prison sentence, Ms. Simon-Hess forfeited $10,089 that was seized at the time of her arrest which will, in part, pay for her $375 in court fines, fees and surcharges.

Jason M. Woodward, 32, of 237 E. Orvis St., Massena, was sentenced Wednesday to five years of probation for his conviction of felony first-degree aggravated unlicensed operation

Michael B. Jones, 31, of 728 State St., Ogdensburg, was sentenced Thursday to five years of probation for his conviction of fourth-degree attempted criminal possession of controlled substance in a plea deal with the district attorney’s office.

On July 31 in the town of Oswegatchie, Mr. Jones was in possession of methamphetamine.

The plea deal satisfied charges of third-degree unlawful manufacture methamphetamine and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The indictment charged on July 31 in the town of Oswegatchie, Mr. Jones, with his codefendants Kurt M. Bjork, then 30, of 410 New York Ave. No. 2, and Sterling R. Grant Jr., then 34, of 823 County Route 4, both of Ogdensburg, each had two or more items of lab equipment and two or more precursors, chemical reagents or solvents for making methamphetamine and each possessed one-eighth of an ounce or more of cocaine at the same time. Mr. Jones was also charged with possessing methamphetamine.