APD: Big Brothers Big Sisters staff member arrested on child pornography-related charge
Editor's Note: This story includes information about alleged sexual abuse of children. If you know or suspect that anyone under 18 is being sexually or physically abused, call the Texas child abuse hotline at 1-800-252-5400. To learn more about how to identify signs of child abuse or neglect, click here.
Abilene police arrested a Big Brother Big Sisters staff member on Wednesday at his workplace in the wake of a cyber tip about child pornography, an Abilene Police Department media release said.
Joe Michael Paris has been charged with promotion of child pornography and was being held Wednesday evening in Taylor County Jail, according to online jail records. No bond amount was showing yet online.
Promotion of child pornography is a second degree felony punishable by two to 10 years in prison and a fine up to $10,000. Anyone accused of a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
The APD arrest was made in collaboration with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations, police said Wednesday in the media release.
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Paris' Facebook profile lists him as working at Big Brothers Big Sisters Abilene. His LinkedIn profile lists him as director of volunteer recruitment at BBBS Lone Star, which serves West Central Texas, Wichita County, Dallas, Tarrant County and Houston. He lists Oklahoma Christian University under education.
A cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children led detectives to identify a video, uploaded via Discord, depicting girls ages 12 to 14 engaging in sexual conduct, the media release said.
Discord is a free messaging app billed as serving gamers and others.
Police executed a search warrant was executed at Paris' home, and he has been booked into Taylor County Jail, police said.
"The Abilene Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this case or who may have had any questionable contact with Joel Michael Paris to contact the Cyber Crimes Unit at 325-676-6610," police said in the media release.
More: Abilene man indicted after alleged street-racing fatality
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Trish Choate is the executive editor for the Wichita Falls Times Record News, San Angelo Standard-Times and Abilene Reporter-News. Contact Trish with news tips at tchoate@gannett.com. Read her recent work here. Her X handle is @Trishapedia.
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: BBBS Abilene staffer arrested on child pornography-related charge
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