The Berks County District Attorney’s Office has charged 28-year-old Kristopher W. Tanner of Reading, PA with possession of child pornography and related offenses, officials announced this week.
In October of 2023, the Berks County Detective’s Office received a complaint from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (N.C.M.E.C.), involving the file sharing of child pornography utilizing the Internet/web application ‘SnapChat’.
An investigation was initiated by Berks County Detectives. As part of this investigation, administrative subpoenas were served on the electronic service provider and the internet service provider. This led detectives to an apartment located on South 7th Street in the City of Reading. Physical surveillance of this address determined that the defendant was residing there.
In April of 2024, members of the Berks County Detectives served a search warrant at the defendant’s apartment. Two cellular telephones and a laptop computer were seized.
As a result of a forensic analysis conducted on the defendant’s electronic devices by the Berks County District Attorney’s Forensic Services Unit, numerous digital files of child pornography were discovered on one of the seized devices.
On Monday, May 6, 2024, the defendant was charged with Sexual Abuse of Children – Possession of Child Pornography and Criminal Use of a Communication Facility. An arrest warrant was issued for the defendant by Magisterial District Judge Carissa L. Johnson.
On Wednesday, May 8, 2024, the defendant was taken into custody in Colechester, Chittenden County, Vermont by law enforcement members of the ICAC (Internet Crimes Against Children) Task Force.
The defendant is currently being held at the Colechester (VT) Police Department and is awaiting extradition and arraignment on these charges.
A Criminal Complaint is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
