For Immediate Release
| PR #: | 1400121 |
| Date Issued: | Nov 13, 2014 - 2:10pm |
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Crimes Against Children Task Force arrests Reno man on child pornography charges |
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| CONTACT: | Bob Harmon Washoe County Sheriff's Office Office 775-785-6235 Cell 775-722-5517 |
Members of the Northern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force arrested Jeremy Daniel Garcia, age 39, of Reno, on child pornography charges after serving a search warrant at his residence on Wednesday November 12, 2014.
Cybercrime investigators identified Garcia after he distributed child pornography images to users on the internet. Investigators are now combing through thousands of images of children on Garcia's computer.
This is an ongoing investigation. However, at this time no information exists to indicate any local children were involved.
Garcia, who is currently unemployed, was also charged for failing to register his address as a convicted person for prior felony charges.
Garcia's actions are yet another reminder of the dangers of the Internet. Online exploitation cases continue to rise as does the need to aggressively investigate cyber related crimes in order to protect the community. It is especially important to protect our children who are vulnerable targets for cyber predators.
The Northern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force is a long-standing partnership between the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, Nevada Attorney General's Office, FBI, and Homeland Security Investigations. This group has the primary function to locate predators using the internet to exploit our children. This group in Northern Nevada has been responsible for the arrests of over 160 individuals since 2003. This work is only successful with the commitment of law enforcement, local District Attorney Offices and the United States Attorney's Office Project Safe Childhood Program.
The following Internet safety tips are from the Staying Safe page at WashoeSheriff.com:
Internet safety tips for children:
- Keep social networking site profiles set to "private."
- Do not give out personal details such as address or school information.
- Turn off your webcam after using it so it cannot be hacked.
- Do not send anyone inappropriate photos of yourself or anyone else.
Internet safety tips for parents:
- Discuss the dangers of the Internet with your child and set ground rules to follow.
- Review safety/parental controls on your computer, search engine, email, and instant messaging.
- Monitor your child's online activity and the sites they visit.
- Keep the computer or laptop in a common area, not in your child's bedroom.
- Watch for behavior changes in your children which may have no other explanation.
People are encouraged to always report any incident of child exploitation on the Internet to local law enforcement or the Cyber Tipline at: http://www.cybertipline.com/.
The Washoe County Sheriff's Office is dedicated to preserving a safe and secure community with professionalism, respect, integrity and the highest commitment to equality. Sheriff Darin Balaam is the 27th person elected to serve as the Sheriff of Washoe County since the Office was created in 1861. The Washoe County Sheriff's Office strives to ensure public safety by building trust and creating partnerships within the diverse communities in which we serve. We will promote the dignity of all people supported by our words and actions through open communication while fostering an environment of professionalism, integrity and mutual respect.