A Kingsport man is behind bars and charged with possession of child pornography after his arrest earlier this week.
Police say James Skelton is already a registered sex offender, and that will make a difference in the case. Skelton allegedly had pictures in his possession that are clearly against the law according to police.
A call came in to Kingsport police when someone noticed some very offensive material. "A concerned citizen saw images of what they believed to be child porn on a laptop that James Skelton used on a regular basis,”
Detective Toby Wells said. “At that point they contacted the police department."
Police responded and took a look for themselves to be sure what had been found. The officer says he saw child porn in the images. "At that point the computer was given to the officer and brought to the station and put into evidence,” Wells added. “Through a subsequent investigation, I obtained a search warrant for the residence where Mr. Skelton lived."
Police found 13 printed images of child porn at Skelton’s house and other evidence that is still being sorted out.
"When you look at the sentencing guidelines and the crime a person is charged with,” Wells pointed out. “Their past history can affect the amount of time they have to spend in prison."
