The trial for a man charged with three counts of child exploitation was set for Oct. 3 in a Monday court hearing.

Joseph Freeman, 55, of Wesson, was arrested April 7 after a joint investigation between the Lincoln County Sheriff’s Office and the Attorney General’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force allegedly uncovered videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct on three separate hard drives.

The courts appointed Jason T. Barrett to serve as Freeman’s defending attorney on Aug. 15 and on Aug. 29 Barrett filed a motion requesting an opportunity to examine the state’s evidence.

According to Mississippi Code, someone convicted of child exploitation is subject to between five and 40 years in prison. Subsequent convictions have a maximum of life in prison, with a 20 year minimum.