SPRINGDALE, Ark. — Spanish version: Para español haga clic aqui.
A Springdale man has been arrested after reportedly admitting to owning up to 70 files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
Aaron Lazaro Morales, 28, was arrested on Feb. 2 and is accused of 10 counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing sexually explicit child material.
Court documents say that on Oct. 21, 2023, a detective conducted an online investigation into a network for offenders sharing child porn, also known as child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
An investigation was then initiated into a specific IP address associated with 287 files, at least one of which was "identified as a file of interest to child pornography investigations," an affidavit said. Investigative software was used to track a download of a 25-minute CSAM video to the IP address.
The affidavit said Cox Communications aided police in tracking the IP address to 2959 Old Wire Rd. in Springdale. On Nov. 15, 2023, a search of the address was executed by the Benton County Sheriff's Office and members of the Northwest Arkansas Human Trafficking and Child Exploitation Task Force. Multiple electronic devices were seized during the search.
A homemade personal computer from Morales' bedroom in the residence was examined. Law enforcement found 32 images depicting juveniles between the ages of five and 14 in various stages of nudity or engaging in sexual acts, according to the affidavit.
The affidavit says that during interviews with Morales, he admitted to owning the computer and using it to play games showing the animated sexual abuse of children. He told police that, while on a website used to download these games, he downloaded a file that allowed him to download CSAM.
Morales told police that he understood the files contained CSAM.
"[Morales] estimated he had 50 to 70 files of child sexual abuse material at one point. He stated the first time was something he just found and the second time he was 'curious,'" the affidavit said.
Morales has been ordered not to access computers or the internet and to have no unsupervised contact with minors.
Morales was released on Feb. 5 on a $50,000 bond. He has a court hearing scheduled for March 11 in Benton County.
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