Weslaco police said they found the images after getting an anonymous tip through a crime stoppers mobile application on Feb 10. — Photo by Gilles Lambert on Unsplash
A 17-year-old Weslaco High School student was arrested Feb 14 morning after police found images of people’s “intimate areas” on the student’s cellphone, authorities said.
They believe the images in question were taken in a school setting and without the subjects’ knowledge.
Weslaco police said they found the images after getting an anonymous tip through a crime stoppers mobile application on Feb 10. They got a search warrant for the student's phone and conducted the search around 8.05am on Feb 14.
During a press conference that afternoon, Weslaco Police Chief Joel Rivera said the tip came through P3 Campus app stating that Joseph Greg Trevino may be in possession of child pornography.
Investigators then contacted Richard Rivera, interim superintendent for the school district, and had Trevino pulled from class Tuesday morning prior to his arrest.
The “digital forensic evidence” found revealed “multiple images of improper photographs of invasive visual recording in the student’s possession”, police said in a news release.
Whether the victims are minors remains unclear.
Rivera, the chief, said the photos were taken in a locker room and other areas around the school while the district interim superintendent said parents were notified as soon as officials learned of the alleged crime.
“The Weslaco Police Department is working with Weslaco Independent School District to further its investigation, and more charges are possible as the victims are identified, and the full extent of the student's actions are uncovered,” police said in the release.
Trevino is charged with invasive visual recording and received a US$15,000 bond on Tuesday.
Police also noted in the release that the department takes “crimes against children” seriously and is “committed to ensuring the safety of its community”, adding that “those who exploit and harm minors” will be brought to justice. – The Monitor, McAllen, Texas/Tribune News Service
