SCPD Media Release- Arrest in Child Pornography Investigation

On April 28, 2016, the Santa Cruz Police Department concluded a months-long child pornography investigation with the arrest of Mr. Jonathan Wells, 43 years old Soquel resident. Mr. Wells works as a metal shop worker in San Jose.

Jonathan Wells, 43 years old ,Soquel resident

The investigation began in late December 2015, where SCPD investigators accessed a network suspected of distributing child pornography. Over the following months, detectives used an undercover identity and were able to access shared files containing child pornography on the network. This included child pornography files being shared by Mr. Wells.

Through continued investigation, Detectives were able to identify Mr. Wells as a source of the child pornography files shared on the network. On April 28th, SCPD Detectives served a search warrant and arrested Mr. Wells at his home in the 3700 block of Vista Drive in Soquel. Detectives seized a number of computers and external drives that were used to download and/or provide child pornography on the network.

Mr. Wells confessed to both downloading child pornography as well as making files available for sharing on the network. Mr. Wells was booked into Santa Cruz County Jail for Possession of Child Pornography.

During the search warrant, Detectives seized 39 firearms from Mr. Wells’ home. The firearms included 6 handguns,

two assault style rifles, large caliber rifles and an assorted collection of black powder firearms.

Investigators are looking into the whether the firearms were legally owned by Mr. Wells.

The Santa Cruz Police Department is an affiliate agency of the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce (ICAC). As such, we work with the ICAC taskforce both proactively and reactively to investigate criminals who are engaged in the sexual exploitation of children. The discovery of this network was the result of a proactive operation by the Santa Cruz Police Department.