AMES, Iowa — A plea deal has been reached for a former Iowa State University student who was accused of sexually exploiting minors on social media.

An investigation into 43-year-old Patrick A. Connerley, then a student at ISU, began back in February when law enforcement agencies in Texas tipped off the Iowa State University Police Department about allegations of Connerley communicating with minors on social media. According to the ISUPD, the messages included details about sex acts with minors.

In March, Connerley allegedly arranged to meet up with who he believed to be was a minor who he had been communicating with on an online chat platform. According to court records, when Connerley arrived at the meet-up location he instead met officers. Connerley was arrested and charged with sexual exploitation of a minor, enticing a minor under 16, and grooming.

Not long after he was taken into custody additional charges were filed against him when detectives conducted search warrants on two phones that he had on him and discovered inappropriate photos of minors, as well as videos showing sexual acts with an animal, according to a criminal complaint. Connerley was additionally charged with two counts of purchase/possess depiction of minor in sex act – first offense and one count of bestiality.

On top of the additional charges, court records say that Connerley would face enhanced sexual exploitation charges as he was convicted of similar crimes in 2015.

Recent court filings show that a plea deal has been reached in the case, allowing Connerley to plead guilty to two counts of sexual exploitation – possession and one count of sexual exploitation of a minor – production, enticing a minor, and bestiality. The charges would not be enhanced per the plea deal. According to court records, a Story County judge accepted the plea deal on Tuesday.

As part of the plea deal, the State will recommend that Connerley serve the charges consecutively, one after the other, for a total of 42 years in prison with a mandatory minimum of 17.5 years before being eligible for parole; however, the plea deal states that the defense can argue for a different sentence. A sentencing hearing is scheduled for November 3.