Key Points:
- Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a Stapleton man on multiple counts of possession of child pornography.
- Investigators discovered obscene images of children under the age of 17 on the suspect’s electronic devices.
- The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has a dedicated Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) team.
- The department has bolstered its manpower and technology to combat child internet crimes.
- The department worked on 25 similar cases in 2023, resulting in 18 arrests.
Baldwin County Sheriff’s deputies have arrested a 30-year-old man on multiple counts of possession of child pornography. The suspect, Treyton Blake Witherington of Stapleton, is listed as a known sexual offender by the county. In the latest arrest, investigators found obscene images of minors on Witherington’s electronic devices. Along with other charges and a warrant for failure to register as a sex offender, Witherington now faces six charges of possession of child pornography.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office has been cracking down on child internet crimes with the help of their Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) team. The ICAC team, run by the Alabama Law Enforcement Agency (ALEA), handles cases related to the exploitation of children online. Sheriff Huey “Hoss” Mack credits the ICAC team for the recent arrest. They have investigated 25 similar cases in 2023, resulting in 18 arrests.
The Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office takes these crimes seriously and has ramped up both its manpower and technology to combat child internet crimes. What originally started as a two-person team has now grown to six investigators. The department has also acquired the latest tools and technology to assist in their investigations. Sheriff Mack emphasized their commitment to tracking down offenders before crimes escalate into physical contact with minors.
The department receives tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as well as from community members. These tips are then investigated by the ICAC team. The new computer technology and resources have been made possible through grants from state and federal law enforcement partners.
The suspect, Treyton Witherington, remains in the Baldwin County Jail and is set for a $96,500 bond.