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A sustained investigation into the distribution of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from public Wi-Fi networks within the city of Franklin resulted in the arrest on Thursday, March 27, of a suspect from Eure, North Carolina.

A March 27 Franklin Police Department (FPD) news release stated that the department received CyberTips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding CSAM that was distributed via an instant messaging platform. 

Police stated that a long-term investigation led to the identification of the suspect Michael Robert White, 36, of Eure, North Carolina. The news release noted that a large amount of CSAM videos were seized from various instant messaging accounts and a cloud storage account.

On March 27, White was arrested for 20 counts of distribution of child pornography and three counts of use of encryption in criminal activity, police stated in the news release. They added that White was transported to the Western Tidewater Regional Jail, where he is being held without bond.

The FPD noted that it was aided in this investigation by the New York City Police Department, U.S. Secret Service, Virginia State Police High Technology Crimes Section, Gates County Sheriff’s Office and New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs.

In the news release, the Franklin Police Department encouraged parents to speak with their children about internet safety. The Southern Virginia ICAC Task Force has parental resources available on its website: https://sovaicac.org/resources/parents/.

If anyone has information about this incident or other criminal activity within the city of Franklin, they are asked to call Franklin Police at 757-562-8575, Franklin Crime Solvers at 757-516-7100, or contact the FPD online at p3tips.com. Information that leads to an arrest can earn the caller a cash reward while remaining anonymous.