A 21-year-old Riverside man suspected of possessing and trading pornographic images of children via the internet was free Tuesday on $20,000 bail, while his alleged cohort remains in custody awaiting trial.
John Adam Micklow was arrested Thursday and booked into the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta on suspicion of possession and distribution of child porn. He posted bond Sunday and was released from jail.
According to Riverside police spokesman Ryan Railsback, Micklow was identified as part of an ongoing investigation into online swapping of child porn in the Inland Empire. The first person nabbed during the investigation was 30-year-old Steven Daniel Rosales of Perris, who was taken into custody in January.
Rosales is charged with a single count of possessing child porn. He’s being held in lieu of $10,000 bail at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside and is next due in court on June 26.
Railsback said the police department’s Sexual Assault Child Abuse unit became aware of the two men’s alleged illicit activities last fall, thanks to tips from online monitors at the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children.
“Unfortunately, this type of crime is growing with the expanding capabilities of the internet and the vast amount of information available to the public,” said Sgt. Rick Wheeler, a SACA detective.
Railsback alleged that the men engaged in communications utilizing social media, where some of the obscene matter was posted.
The investigation resulted in search warrants being served at Rosales’ home on Jan. 11, at which point he was booked into jail.
Railsback said it took longer to find Micklow because additional evidence had to be gathered and examined before the suspect’s identity could be confirmed.
No information was available regarding either man’s criminal history, if any.