Predatory Offender Charged in Rochester Child Porn Case

Rochester, MN (KROC-AM News) - A registered predatory offender from Rochester has been charged with disseminating and possessing child pornography.

Twenty-eight-year-old Efram Ciavarelli was formally arraigned Friday in Olmsted County Court, where his conditional bail was set at $50,000.

According to the criminal complaint, the Rochester Police Department opened an investigation into Ciavarelli’s activities after receiving a cyber tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force through the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension. The tip involved three images of suspected child sexual abuse material uploaded to Snapchat in December 2024.

The court document states the sexually explicit images depicted young girls between the ages of five and approximately 10 years old.

Police Say Snapchat Uploads Linked to Offender’s Home

Investigators with the Rochester Police Department used a subpoena to gather additional information from Snapchat that linked the uploads of suspected child sexual abuse material to Ciavarelli’s residence in southeast Rochester. A search warrant was executed at his apartment last Thursday, resulting in the seizure of several electronic and storage devices.

The court document also indicates that the subpoena to Snapchat produced additional information, including more suspected child sexual abuse images and videos.

Predatory Offender Back in Court on New Charges

Court records show Ciavarelli was required to register as a predatory offender following a 2018 conviction for possession of child pornography. He pleaded guilty in that case as part of a plea agreement that resulted in the dismissal of a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct.

READ MORE: Rochester Man Arrested for Having Sex With Minor

The criminal complaint in that case alleged Ciavarelli engaged in sex with a 14-year-old boy he met on the Grindr dating app. The investigation also uncovered “a substantial quantity of images of child pornography, depicting victims ranging from 18 months of age to approximately 16 years of age engaged in sexual acts” on his cell phone.

Following his 2018 guilty plea, Ciavarelli was sentenced to 30 days in jail and five years on probation.