Robert Triplett, the stepfather of a Columbus woman missing since Sept. 17, was arrested Saturday on charges of exploitation of children.
He already had been on non-adjudicated probation from 2003 charges of attempted sexual battery in Jackson County; according to the Mississippi Department of Corrections, non-adjudicated probation is reserved for first-time offenders.
Lowndes County Sheriff”s Office officials said a computer obtained from Triplett, 56, of 181 Golding Road in Columbus, during the ongoing investigation into the disappearance of Kaila Morris, 21, contained images that “appear to be explicit photos of children under the age of 18.”
LCSO Investigator Tony Cooper, who is leading the investigation into Triplett”s child-pornography charges — but not Morris” disappearance — said no evidence has been found to suggest Triplett played a role in the mystery surrounding Morris.
“There”s no evidence to lead us to believe that if something happened to (Morris), that (Triplett) was the one. We”re still looking at everybody and every possible thing that may have happened to her,” said Cooper.
Triplett is being held at the Lowndes County Adult Detention Center and may appear for a bond hearing today.
The new charges could mean revocation of Triplett”s 10-year probation. Upon successful completion of probation, he was to have the 2003 charges dismissed and his record expunged. In 2007, the attempted sexual battery charges were amended to aggravated assault.
The LCSO seized every computer in Tripletts” home following Morris” disappearance.
“We seized all the computers, all jump drives, anything we felt might have some data on it that could give us a lead to what happened to (Morris),” said Cooper. “We weren”t aimed at just (Triplett”s) computer. Other computers that belonged to friends just happened to be there (in the home). If there were other computers, we seized it.”
The explicit images on Triplett”s computer turned up during scans by the Columbus Police Department forensic crime lab. Triplett was arrested Saturday following a prayer vigil for Morris.
“We felt it was appropriate to wait (to make the arrest),” said Cooper. “In a way, we were hoping Kaila would turn up and we wouldn”t have to drop this second bomb on (the family) at that time.”
A part-time Mississippi State University student and employee of The Cookie Store in Leigh Mall, Morris has been missing since Sept. 17, when she was last seen by Robert Triplett leaving her parents” home on 181 Golding Road, in a dark-colored van or sport utility vehicle with an unknown person or people. Morris” mother, Bonnie Williamson Morris Triplett, was vacationing in Florida at the time.
The Dispatch Editorial Board is made up of publisher Peter Imes, columnist Slim Smith, managing editor Zack Plair and senior newsroom staff.
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