BAY CITY, MI -- A 31-year-old Clare County man is facing federal charges, accused of using the Internet video messenger Skype to produce and traffic child pornography.

An affidavit sworn by FBI Special Agent Douglas L. Smith on June 9 states that on March 9, a Clare County Sheriff's detective interviewed Nathan J. Bowling on a criminal sexual conduct complaint. At that time, Bowling told the detective he views "more porn than the normal male."

When the detective asked him what would be on his computer, Bowling said "there may be an illegal video of a guy and his young daughter, but that he may have deleted it," the affidavit states. "Bowling also stated that, while pretending to be a female online, he had received photographs from females online who claimed to be 15 years old."

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Bowling's laptop and had it forensically examined, discovering numerous files of apparent child porn.

Detectives later contacted the FBI office in Bay City regarding the possibility that Bowling had produced child porn. Transcripts of Skype chats featured Bowling bragging about having taken photos or used hidden cameras to take lewd images of a 16-year-old, the affidavit states.

The FBI later determined Bowling's laptop had been used to transfer child porn over the Internet.

Agent Smith also found that Bowling had misled others in Skype chats regarding his age and gender to obtain sexually explicit images or videos of minors. In one incident on Oct. 7, Bowling claimed he was 20 to a 17-year-old girl. During their Skype sessions, multiple files were exchanged.

"During this session," Smith wrote, "Bowling ... offered to purchase the female a smartphone in exchange for her showing him her nude body on camera and touching herself, including attempting to have her masturbate on camera."

Bowling was initially charged at the state level in the 80th District Court on two counts of third-degree criminal sexual conduct using force or coercion and single counts of using a computer to commit a crime and child sexually abusive material. Those charges were dismissed on June 22 so the case could go federal.

A grand jury on Tuesday, June 28, indicted Bowling on single counts of attempted sexual exploitation of a child, distribution of child pornography, and possession of child pornography. The first charge carries a mandatory minimum 15-year prison sentence and a maximum 30-year sentence. The second count is punishable by five to 20 years. The final charge is a 10-year felony.

Bowling is scheduled to appear for a preliminary examination before U.S. District Magistrate Judge Patricia T. Morris at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 5.