The Leitchfield Police Department has conducted a months-long child pornography investigation involving a local teenager.
Leitchfield police said during September and October 2023, “a 14-year-old juvenile was being contacted by an unknown subject via social media.”
“The suspect was engaging in conversations of a sexual nature and sent at least one pornographic video to the child,” LPD Det. Sgt. Ian Renfrow said. “(The suspect also) received multiple items of pornography from the child while allegedly offering money for the videos, yet never exchanging any money. The male was found to be misrepresenting his age and using a social media account with vague identifying information.”
After several months of investigation and using online searches and data, detectives identified the suspect as 23-year-old Eduardo Alvarado-Ibanez, of Webb City, Missouri.
With the assistance of out-of-state agencies and the U.S. Marshals Service, Alvarado-Ibanez was located and arrested in Dallas, Texas, Renfrow said.
The case was presented to a Grayson County Grand Jury which returned indictments on two counts of possessing matter portraying a sexual performance by a minor, and two counts of distributing obscene matter to a minor.
In a statement to K105 about the dangers of children and the internet, Renfrow stated:
“While the department is glad to announce the success of the investigation, it is a dismal reminder of the dangers of children and social media. We urge parents to keep close tabs on their child’s online activities. Parents should know who their child is contacting and should speak regularly with their children about the dangers present on social media. Sadly, this kind of activity is happening every day across the state and our community is not immune from its effects. The suspect in this case, once identified, was found to have active warrants for his arrest for sex offenses against a juvenile in Missouri. Again, take the time to know who your child is talking to. It is not snooping, it is not invasive, it is sincere concern for your child to do so.”
By Ken Howlett, News Director
Contact Ken at ken@k105.com
