Over 120 terabytes of child sex abuse material seized in California
The operation, conducted by the sheriff's office in collaboration with Solano County Probation and the Vacaville Police Department, also led to the confiscation of more than 20 computers, a server and multiple anti-forensic and hacking tools at the home in Vallejo.
"To put the amount of data in perspective. 1 TB of data is roughly 120 hours of HD video," the sheriff's office said on Facebook.
The investigation stemmed from a prior Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Street sweep, an ongoing effort to combat sexual assault crimes.
Following this case, the sheriff's office announced Monday that its Investigations Bureau has begun conducting Internet Crimes Against Children cases with a full-time investigator.
Authorities have not released further details about potential arrests or charges related to the case.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
06-07-2025
- Scottish Sun
Gulf Coast Stapletons influencer DEFENDS shamed husband after he plead guilty to 20 counts of having child abuse images
Wife Brittani said she and her husband are 'still happy' despite the vile charges STANDING BY Gulf Coast Stapletons influencer DEFENDS shamed husband after he plead guilty to 20 counts of having child abuse images AN INFLUENCER has defended her husband online after he was sentenced to prison for child abuse images. Joshua Stapleton, 39, and his wife Brittani, 31, document their Gulf Coast travels across social media, posting what on the surface seems like a perfect life - but it's far from the truth. Advertisement 6 Joshua Stapleton, 39, and his wife Brittani, 31, document their Gulf Coast travels across social media Credit: gulfcoast_stapletons 6 The pair have amassed over one million likes across TikTok and Instagram Credit: gulfcoast_stapletons 6 Stapleton received a 20-year sentence Credit: Bartow County Sheriff's Office Jail 6 Wife Brittani has made it clear she stands with her husband in a TikTok video Credit: gulfcoast_stapletons The pair have amassed over one million likes across TikTok and Instagram with more than 81,000 followers, sharing workout videos, meals and vacations. But their popularity has certainly diminished since investigators made the heinous discovery that husband Stapleton had downloaded child abuse images, Fox 5 News reports. Over four years since authorities initially launched their investigation, Stapleton received a 20-year sentence after pleading guilty to 20 counts of sexual exploitation of children. Five years are to be served in custody and the remaining 15 on probation. Advertisement But wife Brittani has made it clear she stands with her husband and posted a lengthy TikTok video addressing frequently asked questions on the harrowing situation. She started the video by threatening legal action against anything spreading what she called "false" statements being spread about her husband that are "damaging" to his reputation. Brittani said she knew about the charges against her husband, who wed in 2023, as they were friends before they started dating. She said: "When the charges occurred, we were friends. [...] I have a really good judge of character and I knew something was up. I knew that was not Josh. Advertisement "We had already been on several trips together beforehand. I'd spent pretty close time with this guy and I was like, hmm, something's wrong here. "Josh was absolutely upfront with me about everything in the charges. There were no secrets." Brit, 22, arrested at Disneyland Paris after 'trying to marry girl, 9, in bizarre ceremony at Sleeping Beauty castle' Stapleton's arrest followed an investigation launched by the Cartersville Police Department's Criminal Investigations Division, supported by the Georgia Bureau of Investigation and the US Department of Homeland Security. The investigation was launched based on a tip submitted through the Internet Crimes Against Children program. Advertisement It was during this probe the 39-year-old was exposed for downloading numerous child abuse images between 2018 and 2020. Addressing another question from concerned social media users, Brittany defended that the couple's friends with children are aware of the charges against Stapleton. She said: " We've always been absolutely upfront with everyone. And guess what? "A lot of these people have our backs because they have personally witnessed Josh around their children and know that there's no issue." Advertisement Stapleton was originally charged with 15 counts of child pornography possession, but was later indicted on a harrowing 40 counts of sexual exploitation of children. He ultimately accepted a non-negotiable plea deal and pleaded guilty to 20 counts, while the remaining 20 charges were dropped. Brittani shockingly rejected the claim that child images were on his "work laptop," slamming them as "false". She ranted: " Josh could not possibly have that on his work laptop because if you have ever worked for a corporation or any big company or anything along those lines, you know how secure those computers are." Advertisement Brittani also pushed back against accusations that they were merely showing "fake lives" across their social media platforms, and said they are "still happy" as a couple despite the vile charges. She rambles: " We are still happy. He and I have no issues. He has been fully transparent and honest with me. "Therefore, I know everything. I have been to court. I know everything. I can assure you that nothing about us was fake." Stapleton will have to abide by multiple "sex offender" conditions upon his release. Advertisement Bartow County authorities haven't released additional information about the plea proceedings. Stapleton is currently being held in the Bartow County Sheriff's Office Jail. 6 Stapleton (R) was originally charged with 15 counts of child pornography possession, but was later indicted on a harrowing 40 counts of sexual exploitation of children Credit: gulfcoast_stapletons 6 Stapleton (R) ultimately accepted a non-negotiable plea deal and pleaded guilty to 20 counts, while the remaining 20 charges were dropped Credit: gulfcoast_stapletons
NBC News
24-02-2025
- NBC News
Over 120 terabytes of child sex abuse material seized in California
Investigators seized more than 120 terabytes of child sex abuse material from a residence in Northern California on Thursday, according to the Solano County Sheriff's Office. The operation, conducted by the sheriff's office in collaboration with Solano County Probation and the Vacaville Police Department, also led to the confiscation of more than 20 computers, a server and multiple anti-forensic and hacking tools at the home in Vallejo. "To put the amount of data in perspective. 1 TB of data is roughly 120 hours of HD video," the sheriff's office said on Facebook. The investigation stemmed from a prior Sexual Assault Felony Enforcement Street sweep, an ongoing effort to combat sexual assault crimes. Following this case, the sheriff's office announced Monday that its Investigations Bureau has begun conducting Internet Crimes Against Children cases with a full-time investigator. Authorities have not released further details about potential arrests or charges related to the case.
The Independent
16-01-2025
- The Independent
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist arrested on child pornography charges
Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Darrin Lawrence Bell is facing felony child pornography charges over a trove of graphic videos — some of them AI-generated — that detectives say the 49-year-old uploaded to an online account. Bell, a Northern California resident, was arrested Wednesday and is being held in the Sacramento County Main Jail on $1 million bail, according to booking records. The married father of four is reportedly the first person in the state to be charged for possession of AI-generated child sexual abuse material since it became a law on January 1. Bell's alleged activities came to the attention of Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) investigators after they were contacted by officials at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which tracks CSAM being shared online. ICAC is a national network of 61 coordinated task forces, representing over 5,400 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies. Detectives say they discovered more than 100 videos of actual CSAM, along with the stash allegedly produced using AI. Bell is the creator of a strip called Candorville, which launched in 2003 and is syndicated through The Washington Post Writers Group, appearing in newspapers across the country. Bell won a Pulitzer in 2019 for editorial cartooning, the first African-American to do so. He is due to appear in court on Friday at 3 p.m. local time.
