Trumann, AR – JonesboroRightNow.com – A Lake City man is behind bars on a $250,000 cash/surety bond after police said he bought child sexual abuse material (CSAM) online and admitted to watching it.
The arrest stems from a cyber tip that the Jonesboro Police Department received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding CSAM being bought online by someone in the area.
According to the probable cause affidavit, detectives found that 37-year-old Grant Aaron Byerly used his Cash App account to make purchases of child sexual abuse material on the dark web. However, before an arrest could be made, they learned Byerly had moved to Trumann.
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On June 2, detectives, U.S. Marshals Service agents, and Trumann police officers executed a search warrant in Trumann and arrested Byerly. During an interview, he admitted to purchasing the CSAM and watching it every couple of weeks. He was then transported to the Craighead County Detention Center.
The following day, Byerly appeared before District Judge Tommy Fowler, who found probable cause to charge Byerly with one Class B felony: Possession or use of CSAM. In addition to the $250,000 bond, he was ordered to have no access to the internet.
Byerly’s next court appearance is scheduled for July 30. If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in prison and fines up to $15,000.
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