South Bay Child Porn Suspect Arrested

LOS GATOS, CA — A tip from a task force that helps local law enforcement agencies respond to crimes against children led to the arrest of a child pornography suspect in unincorporated Los Gatos on Wednesday morning, the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office said.

At around 7 a.m. authorities acting on a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children served a search warrant at a Woolaroc Drive address in unincorporated Los Gatos, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Santa Clara County Sheriff’s deputies were joined in serving the warrant by Sheriff’s Detectives from the SAFE Taskforce and United States Marshals on 23-year-old Samuel Mesa, who is suspected of trading child pornography over the internet, authorities said.

Mesa is accused of downloading and distributing child pornography via the messaging applications Snapchat and Kik, the Sheriff’s Office said.

Detectives obtained a confession from Mesa and arrested him on suspicion of possessing child pornography charges.

Detectives seized Mesa’s electronic devices for additional forensic analysis.

Mesa was booked into the Main Jail without incident, the Sheriff’s Office said.

The Sheriff’s Office said its investigation of this case is ongoing.

Anyone with information about this case is asked to contact the Santa Clara County Sheriff’s Office at (408) 808-4500 or the Sheriff’s Office Investigative Services anonymous tip line at (408) 808-4431.