ABILENE, TX – On March 31, 2020, Detectives with the Abilene Police Department Cyber Crimes Division began an investigation into the alleged uploading of Child Pornography through a tip received by the National Center for Exploited and Missing Children (NCMEC). A subsequent investigation led to the arrest of Larry Sparks, a 36-year-old white male. In a recent federal hearing, Sparks was found guilty of Production of Child Pornography (Violation of 18 U.S.C. § 2251(a)) and was sentenced to 28 years imprisonment and 15 years supervised release.
The Abilene Police Department would like to remind citizens if they suspect any of the following to please report any local incidents to the Abilene Police Department. Any State or National incidents can be reported through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) at https://report.cybertip.org/ or the 24-Hr Hotline 1-800-843-5678.
Child Pornography (possession, manufacturing, and distribution)
Online Enticement of Children for Sexual Acts
Child Sex Trafficking
Child Sexual Molestation
Child Sex Tourism
Misleading Domain Names
Misleading Digital Images on the Internet
Unsolicited Obscene Material Sent to a Child
For more tips on keeping your Children Safe online and other tools please visit missingkids.org
Respectfully,
Rick Tomlin
Public Information Coordinator