An investigation into child pornography being uploaded by an area man to his Snapchat account has led to multiple charges against the suspect. Eighteen-year-old Dawson Thomas Cone of Mountain View was arrested earlier this month on 13 felony charges.
According to the probable cause affidavit in the case, the investigation was initiated in January 2022 when Snapchat officials filed a complaint via a Cyber Tipline Report which was then sent the National Center For Missing & Exploited Children of seven child pornography files uploaded by the username “dawsoncone”. The information was forwarded to the Arkansas State Police (ASP) to investigate after the Cyber Tipline Report found the phone number and I.P. address came back to a residence in Melbourne. Later last year, Cone’s family moved to Mountain View.
ASP investigators executed a search warrant on Cone’s cell phone in January of this year. During questioning, Cone admitted to the fact he viewed and uploaded images and/or videos of child pornography with his cell phone.
A forensic analysis of Cone’s phone showed it contained nine images and four videos of underage girls.
Cone is facing 13 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. He is free after posting $50,000 bond.
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