A California man who shared a copy of the movie Deadpool on Facebook has been arrested and charged with criminal copyright infringement. If convicted, he faces a penalty of up to three years in prison.

Trevon Maurice Franklin, 21, of Fresno, California, allegedly uploaded the movie to his Facebook page eight days after its US theatrical release in February 2016. Franklin went by the name "Tre-Von M. King" on Facebook.

Franklin was arrested on Tuesday morning and brought to US District Court in Fresno. The court docket indicates he was brought into court in leg shackles. Franklin was advised of his rights and the charges, and he pleaded not guilty. He was assigned a federal public defender as an attorney and has a subsequent court appearance on June 27 in Los Angeles.

The indictment (PDF) against Franklin accuses him of sharing "at least 10 copies" of Deadpool, with a total retail value of at least $2,500.

Federal prosecutors say that more than five million people were able to view the film, which is owned and copyrighted by 20th Century Fox, as a result of Franklin's upload.

Franklin couldn't be reached for comment on the allegations.