MARTINEZ — A local resident is facing two felony charges after his wife reportedly uncovered a secret he’d been keeping on his phone, leading to the discovery of thousands of child pornography files, according to police and court records.
Emmanuel Becerra, 25, was charged this month with two counts of felony child pornography possession, one of which alleges he possessed more than 600 files. He posted bail on Aug. 19 and has been released from jail while the case is pending, court records show.
It all started with a fight between Becerra and his wife, according to police.
Martinez police received the wife’s tip in late June, when she told police she had gone through her husband’s phone after the two had an argument. She reported finding child pornography, but when police searched Becerra’s social media accounts, they say that wasn’t all they found.
Authorities say that Becerra had created a Snapchat account in which he identified himself as a juvenile — sharing pictures of himself as a teen to prove it — and exchanged sexual pictures and videos with teen girls. When police searched his phone earlier this month, they reportedly found between 1,600 and 2,000 suspected child pornography files based on a cursory search, but say they’re taking a deeper dive through Becerra’s electronic devices to see where it leads.
Many of the files on Becerra’s phone were already in circulation online, an indication he was downloading child sexual abuse material rather as well as receiving it from Snapchat users, according to police. The children depicted appeared to be as young as 4 or 5 as well as teens, authorities said.
Becerra has pleaded not guilty.
