HARRISBURG, PA — Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday has announced the arrest of a Luzerne County man following an investigation that allegedly uncovered more than 50 files containing child sexual abuse material.
Authorities identified the suspect as 35-year-old James Alpaugh of Wilkes-Barre Township. He has been charged with multiple felony counts of sexual abuse of children and one count of criminal use of a communication facility. His bail was set at $25,000, and a preliminary hearing is scheduled for October 27.
According to the Office of the Attorney General, investigators determined that Alpaugh had allegedly been sending and receiving videos depicting child sexual abuse through the social media application Kik. Agents from the Child Predator Section executed a search warrant at his Summit Street residence, where they located an email address linked to the Kik accounts allegedly used to distribute the material.
“It is deeply concerning to see a social media platform primarily accessed by children being used as a device to abuse and exploit kids,” Attorney General Sunday said in a statement. “Our Child Predator Section will continue pursuing these offenders with every resource available to ensure children are protected and offenders are held accountable.”
The case is being prosecuted by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michelle Laucella of the Child Predator Section.
All charges are allegations, and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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