Grand Forks (trfnews.i234.me) — A Grand Forks man has been charged with five felony counts involving the possession of prohibited digital materials following an investigation triggered by a national cyber tip.
According to newly filed court documents, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) notified Grand Forks Police after detecting suspected illegal files stored in a cloud account. The files were flagged through NCMEC’s reporting system, which is used nationwide by online service providers to detect and report possible exploitation-related content. For more information about NCMEC’s CyberTipline, visit missingkids.org.
Investigators reviewed the data linked to the tip and reported that the account contained multiple images prohibited under state law. The same cloud account also contained nude images of the suspect, which police say helped them confirm the identity of the user. Detectives reviewed metadata and device information and reported that the images were connected to a camera tied to the suspect.
The man charged has been identified as Juan Carlos Cedeno, who was living at an apartment located at 2403 27th Avenue South, Unit 823, in Grand Forks. Police say the cloud account activity, device information, and stored images connected Carrera to the illegal files.
Following the review of digital evidence, prosecutors filed five felony counts of possession of certain prohibited materials. North Dakota law classifies possession of child sexual abuse materials as a serious felony offense, with potential prison time for each count. Details on state laws regarding these crimes can be found through the North Dakota Century Code at ndlegis.gov.
Carrera has not yet entered a plea in the case. Additional details may be released as the court process continues. The investigation remains open as digital forensic analysis continues.
I’m Chris Harper reporting for TRF News.
