BY MAIRE O’NEILL
maire@losalamosreporter.com
Editor’s note: The content of this story may be disturbing to some readers.
Los Alamos Police Department has arrested James Thomas Cameron, 68, of Terrabonne, Oregon on charges of sexual exploitation of a child – possession and sexual exploitation of a child – distribution. Cameron was arrested November 16 on an arrest warrant requested by LAPD Det. Sgt. James Rodriguez.
The affidavit submitted by Rodriguez for the arrest warrant indicates that in October 2019, the Internet Crimes Against Children section of the state Attorney General’s office contacted LAPD following a Cyber Tipline Report from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, A subpoena was issued for information on a particular Internet Protocol (IP) address and the subscriber was found to be a Los Alamos resident. The Cyber Tipline indicated that on July 31, 2019, some 290 items were uploaded using that IP address of which six were not suspected to be child pornography, nine photos were suspected to be of child pornography, and the remaining 275 uploaded items were suspected to be videos of child pornography.
Court documents filed by Det. Sgt. Rodriguez indicate that a review of the 290 items found several images and videos of prepubescent teens, both boys and girls engaging in or being forced to engage in sexual acts, as well as several videos of infant children being molested.
In December 2019, a search warrant was approved to recover electronic devices from a Los Alamos residence, which were turned over to the New Mexico Computer Forensics Laboratory for examination. In February 2020, the devices were returned as there was no evidence that had been used for the downloaded material.
Rodriguez’s affidavit indicates that further investigation determined Cameron had stayed at the couple’s home on the night the material was downloaded and that he had asked to use their W Fi password because he had his online data was maxed out. The couple was familiar with Cameron’s travel habits in various states and abroad. Rodriguez said he has kept in touch with them to determine when and if Cameron would return to Los Alamos. He was notified that Cameron would be in Los Alamos on Monday, more than two years since the downloading occurred.
Cameron was arrested Monday and according to court records, had his first appearance in Los Alamos Magistrate Court Wednesday before Judge Pat Casados. He was released on his own recognizance and placed on pre-trial services. He is required to notify Judge Casados before he leaves New Mexico. A preliminary hearing has been set for Jan. 7, 2022.