One-time congressional candidate Nathaniel A. Irvin is back in Missouri following his extradition from Humboldt County, California on federal child pornography charges.

The 30-year-old Democratic nominee in 2014 for the Fourth Congressional District seat pleaded not guilty Thursday before Magistrate Willie Epps Jr. to counts of receiving and possession of child pornography.

Court documents in the case don’t say where Irvin is being held. Epps ordered a detention hearing for Jan. 23 in Jefferson City.

Irvin is represented by Troy Stabenow of the Federal Public Defender’s Office, who did not immediately return a message seeking comment.

Boone County prosecutors originally charged Irvin on May 3 after authorities found child pornography videos at his residence in Columbia. His bond was revoked in July for being at Douglass Park pool when children were present and warrants were issued for his arrest.

Irvin was arrested on the warrants Sept. 26 by California park rangers. He was booked at the Humboldt County Jail and while in custody, on Oct. 10, the case was transferred to the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri.

The Missouri State Highway Patrol in February was investigating the peer-to-peer sharing of child pornography when Cpl. Patrick Sublette came across an IP address later traced to Irvin’s residence. Sublette wrote in an affidavit he connected to a device linked to the IP address and downloaded two illicit videos.

In May, authorities served a search warrant at Irvin’s residence and confiscated electronic devices, which forensic investigators later discovered multiple images and videos of child pornography.

Irvin, using the nickname Nate Irvin, ran unsuccessfully in 2014 as the Democratic nominee for the Fourth Congressional District seat held by U.S. Rep. Vicky Hartzler, R-Harrisonville. He was the campaign manager for 2018 Democratic candidate Renee Hoagenson until he was charged with driving while intoxicated in October 2017.

He pleaded guilty to that charge May 6 and was sentenced to two years unsupervised probation.

ppratt@columbiatribune.com

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