Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A recent ruling issued by an Olmsted County judge has likely made it much more difficult for the prosecution in the case of a Rochester man charged in a child pornography and teenage prostitution case.

According to court records, 45-year-old Joel Alan Ashbacher became the target of an investigation by the Rochester Police Department last October after investigators received a cyber tip alleging that he was soliciting minors to engage in sexual acts. That led to the issuance of a search warrant for his person, vehicle, and home.

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The criminal complaint filed against Ashbacher states that he was stopped by police as he was driving away from his northwest Rochester residence in November. The justification for the traffic stop was the officers’ knowledge that Ashbacher had a revoked driver’s license.

While he was being interviewed by the officer, Rochester police searched his home and seized multiple devices that, according to the criminal complaint, contained 117 files of suspected child sexual abuse material. The charges specifically list one image and two videos depicting adults engaging in forced sexual conduct with boys ranging in age from 6 months to 8 years old.

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The court document says investigators also found online chats between Ashbacher and other users on an app in which he talked about having sex with an underage teenage boy. The charges allege that Ashbacher paid the juvenile for sex and shared sexually explicit photos of the victim in app chats.

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Ashbacher was charged with one count of dissemination of child pornography, three counts of possession of child pornography, and prostitution involving a person believed to be between the ages of 16 and 18 years old.

The Rochester man’s defense attorney challenged the validity of the search warrant used by investigators. The challenge also sought to have any statements given by Ashbacher to police during the traffic stop thrown out.

In a ruling issued earlier this week, the judge in the case agreed that there was insufficient probable cause to support the search warrant and has suppressed all of the evidence seized by investigators at Ashbacher’s home. The judge denied the request to suppress Ashbacher’s statements to police, ruling that he was properly advised of his rights and that the officer had reasonable suspicion to question him about child pornography and prostitution.

Ashbacher’s next court hearing in the case is scheduled for next month.