Man charged with downloading and receiving child pornography

A Roanoke Rapids man is charged with three counts of second-degree sexual exploitation of a minor after he received and downloaded child pornography.

Chief Shane Guyant said the Criminal Investigations Unit and members of the Halifax Regional Drug and Gang Task Force executed a search warrant Monday in the 300 block of Monroe Street after it was determined that a person living there — Jose Manuel Barrena Tejas, 21 — had received and downloaded child abuse material.

Detective S. Bryant’s investigation began in July when, according to Guyant, he received reliable and substantiated information that child pornography was being received and downloaded.

An initial search warrant for data was executed on a suspicious social media account. This search warrant yielded numerous videos of children being sexually abused.

During the search on Monday, detectives seized more than 10 electronic devices from the home.

Tejas remains in the Halifax County Detention Center on $25,000 bond and awaits a district court hearing on Sept. 26.

The investigation is ongoing and more charges are expected, the chief said.

“A person is charged with sexual exploitation of a minor in the second degree if he/she receives (and/or) distributes child pornography. The evidence in this case suggests that Tejas received and downloaded child pornography,” Guyant said.

The chief said there is no evidence at this time that Tejas distributed material outside of his personal computer system. “That may change as the investigation continues. I will say that Tejas is not accused of producing or making videos here in Roanoke Rapids. We want the public to have some comfort in knowing that there is no evidence that local children were victimized in this case.”

Said Guyant: “This is a despicable crime and if we felt there was a threat to our children and the safety of our city, we would be relentless in protecting our children. We strongly believe there are no threats as part of Tejas’ actions.”