SMITH COUNTY, Texas — The Smith County Sheriff's Office arrested an employee of the Smith County Emergency Services Thursday for child pornography.
According to the SCSO, investigators received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in October of a possible child pornography case. The center says the victims were of a very young age.
The sheriff's office obtained subpoenas for social medias sites an cell phone and internet providers. After an investigation, the sheriff's office identified 25-year-old Silas Franks of Terrell as a suspect. Franks was an employee of the Smith County Emergency Services District 2.
The sheriff's office says Franks used an IP address from the Red Springs Fire Department while on duty to obtain the pornography. After obtaining search warrants, investigators found Franks had received thousands of pictures and chat logs of a "sexual nature" from Snapchat.
On Thursday, Judge Kerry Russell of the 7th State District issued an arrest warrant for Franks.
He was arrested Friday and charged with possession/promotion of child pornography. His bond was set at $250,000.
The Smith County Emergency Services District 2 cooperated in the investigation.
