HANCOCK — An investigation conducted by the Michigan State Police (MSP) Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has resulted in an arrest and charges of a Houghton County man.

Justin Henry-Allen Covert, 32 of Hancock, was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 5, and arraigned on Friday, Aug. 7. Covert is charged with three counts of child sexually abusive activity-aggravated, three counts of child sexually abusive activity-aggravated possession and six counts of using a computer to commit a crime. Covert was issued a $100,000 bond, cash or surety.

The investigation stemmed from a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) Cyber Tip. Further investigation led to locating a residence in the city of Hancock where the suspect was residing. A search warrant of the home netted multiple internet capable devices and evidence. An arrest warrant was issued, and Covert was arrested without incident.

The MSP Computer Crimes Unit encourages parents to speak to their children and family members about the safe use of the internet. There are many resources available to assist in keeping children safe online. The NCMEC provides a comprehensive list of resources on their website http://www.missingkids.org. The MSP ICAC Task Force also provides resources at http://www.michiganicac.com.

If you have information regarding possible child sexual exploitation, report it to the CyberTipline at http://www.missingkids.org/cybertipline.