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SYRACUSE — A Syracuse man is facing 21 felonies in connection with the alleged sexual abuse of a child, according to court records.

Dustin Reid Hawkins, 30, was charged Thursday in 2nd District Court with seven counts of sodomy on a child and five counts of aggravated sexual abuse of a child, all first-degree felonies. He was also charged with nine counts of sexual exploitation of a minor, a second-degree felony.

Hawkins is accused of abusing an 11-year-old boy for the past 13 to 14 months up until this past weekend when police interviewed the victim, according to charging documents.

"(Hawkins) told the boy not to tell anyone or the defendant would go to prison," the charges state.

Investigators examined Hawkins' cellphone and found photo evidence supporting the abuse allegations, according to charging documents. Hawkins also admitted "that he has viewed and downloaded child pornography regularly since 2012 and indicated that his child pornography interest was in young girls," the charges state.

