Cyber Tip Leads To Child-Porn Arrest In Novato: Deputies

NOVATO, CA – A Novato man was arrested Wednesday on suspicion of possession of child pornography following an investigation that began in October, the Marin County sheriff's Office said.

After receiving a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that an image of suspected child porn was found on a social-network site, authorities worked to identify where in Marin County the image originated, deputies said.

"From a series of search warrants, detectives were able to identify a residence in unincorporated Novato," the department said.

A search warrant served Wednesday morning at the identified home allegedly recovered images on a computer that contained the suspected child porn, and Paul David Padou, 51, was arrested and booked into the Marin County Jail for suspicion of possession of material depicting obscene images of a minor and reported possession of a controlled substance, deputies said.

Evidence seized will undergo additional forensic examination, and there is no indication that any of the photos depict victims from Marin County, officials said.

The San Jose-based Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force assisted in the warrant service.

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--Image via Renee Schiavone, Patch