A MAN who photographed child beauty queen JonBenét Ramsey and was charged with unrelated child pornography crimes has been released from prison amid coronavirus fears.

Randall De Witt Simons, a 67-year-old from Oakridge, Oregon, took pictures of the six-year-old just months before her body was found in the basement of her Colorado family home in 1996.

9 Simons, who has been charged over ‘child porn’, is released from jail over coronavirus fears. Credit: Lone County Jail

9 JonBenét Ramsey, a former 6-year old child pageant star who was found dead in the 1990s Credit: Rex Shutterstock

JonBenét's parents had hired Simons to photograph their daughter in her pageant gear. The month after JonBenét's death, Simons sold the pictures to the now defunct Sygma Photo Agency for $7,500, the Associated Press reported.

Simons was released from Lane County Jail on Friday, after his attorney filed a motion for release, citing heart problems and his age.

"Mr. Simons is at significant risk of contracting and, due to his age and underlying medical conditions, dying from COVID-19, a highly contagious viral infection that is sweeping through Oregon and Lane County," the motion read according to The Register-Guard.

"Mr. Simons is amenable to electronic monitoring and other reasonable conditions to ensure his return to court."

Simons has pleaded not guilty to the charges.

9 Credit: Rex Features

9 JonBenet was a child pageant star Credit: Rex Features

Simons did not have to pay bail, and was instead released on his own recognizance, meaning he has made a written promise to show up for future court appearances.

In 2019, Simons was indicted by a secret grand jury on 15 counts of child pornography.

The charges of second degree encouraging child sex abuse were brought following a year-long investigation by police.

The investigation was prompted by a report from a restaurant that somebody had been using the establishment's WiFi to download inappropriate images, according to The Register-Guard.

9 A newspaper covering the child's death Credit: Sygma - Getty

9 JonBenét with her parents Credit: Alamy

9 The house where JonBenét was killed Credit: Getty - Contributor

Officers were able to trace the IP address that was being used to log into the WiFi, and was led to Simons.

At the time of his arrest, Simons described himself to officers as a children's photographer.

His trial is scheduled to begin May 12.

In 1998, Simons was arrested in Lincoln County, Colorado, for allegedly walking naked down a residential street.

According to the book Perfect Murder, Perfect Town, Simons allegedly told the arresting officer unprompted: "I didn’t kill JonBenét.”

9 JonBenéts parents appealing for information after her murder Credit: Reuters

9 JonBenéts parents speaking with Colorado media Credit: Getty Images - Getty

The unsolved case of JonBenét's death has gripped the world for decades, with a number of books and documentaries being released in an attempt to unravel what happened that night of December 25, 1996.

The child's father John found his daughter's body in the basement of their house in Boulder eight hours after she had been reported missing.

The six-year-old, who had previously been named Little Miss Colorado, had sustained a broken skull from a blow to the head, and had been strangled. The garrote was found still tied to her neck, and a ransom note was left next to the JonBenét's body.

Her death was ruled a homicide, and still remains an open investigation with the Boulder Police Department.

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In 2003, trace DNA that was taken from JonBenét's body was deemed to belong to an unknown male.

JonBenét was born in 1990 in Atlanta, Georgia, the youngest of Patricia and John Ramsey's two children.

JonBenét's mother entered her into various child beauty pageants, where the child was very successful, winning America's Royale Miss, Little Miss Charlevoix, Little Miss Colorado, Colorado State All-Star Kids Cover Girl, and National Tiny Miss Beauty.

​Documentary shows a possible theory for the cause of JonBenet's death

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