Photo: Jose Alvarez-Fuentes
May 15, 2020 – Santa Barbara – In a world where almost any sexual orientation, habit, or expression is socially acceptable or protected by provisions of the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, one area of prurient interest remains a cultural and legal anathema: the exploitation of children for any sexual purpose.
The internet—which arguably blossomed in the late 1990s with the help of entrepreneurial online pornographers and remains the channel of choice for legions of porn addicts—can be a deceptively easy tool for those who share, view, or download images of naked children or underage sexual activity.
According to Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Department Public Information Officer Raquel Zick, those engaged in such activities are the target of The Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program. When these individuals are detected, the Task Force refers them to local law enforcement for investigation.
That’s exactly how 26-year-old Goleta resident Jose Alvarez-Fuentes was identified by SBSD detectives on May 5, 2020 as uploading child pornography to various social media platforms attached to an IP address linked to his residence.
Eight days later, on May 13th, detectives “authored a search warrant for Alvarez-Fuentes’ residence” which was served early that morning. Detectives detained him while his computer and mobile phone were searched. Both devices indicated that Alvarez-Fuentes had been actively engaged in the downloading and dissemination of pornographic material featuring children.
He was transported to Santa Barbara County Jail, where he was booked on charges relating to the possession of child pornography.
Photo: Courtesy Santa Barbara County Jail Booking
