SALEM, PA -- Christopher Foster, 29, of Salem Township in Wayne County, PA, was arrested and charged with more than 1,000 felony child pornography counts (see sidebar).

The investigation started in Chatham County, North Carolina, after a 13-year-old boy reported to his mother that he had been in contact with an adult male while playing Xbox online. The man had convinced that juvenile and another juvenile to send him sexually explicit videos and photographs. He and the juveniles also used Discord and Snapchat to send and received explicit videos and photographs of each other. The man also sent the juveniles money for the videos and photographs.

Investigators in North Carolina were able to identify the adult male as Christopher Foster from Moscow, PA. Initially, the Lackawanna County detectives were contacted. However, once it was determined that Foster lived in Wayne County, the Wayne County detective became involved along with the PA State Police Northeast Computer Crimes Unit.

A search warrant was served at Foster’s residence on December 27 by members of the PA Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Approximately 165,000 files depicting child pornography were found on Foster’s electronic devices.

Foster was arrested and brought before Magisterial District Judge Carney for a preliminary arraignment. Bail was set at $200,000 and Foster was remanded to the Wayne County Correctional Facility. His next court appearance was scheduled for January 3 at the Wayne County Courthouse.

A charged defendant is presumed innocent until a jury returns a unanimous finding that the commonwealth has proven the defendant’s guilt beyond a reasonable doubt or until the defendant enters a guilty plea to the charges.