A Pulaski County man was arrested recently after an investigation involving suspected child sexual suspected child sexual abuse material.
Pulaski County Chief Deputy Seth Barton stated that deputies were first contacted on Friday, October 23, to assist a group confronting a man who had been digitally communicating with an alleged underage victim. The group told police the messages were actually sent to a decoy account rather than an actual minor.
Following the incident, Barton also received a video of Lenard Gentry suggesting to the decoy that he has received and possessed child sexual abuse material. Barton said the statements were investigated independently outside of the decoy account conversation, allowing the Sheriff’s Office to begin a separate investigation.
Chief Barton explained that investigations involving decoy accounts present evidentiary challenges, particularly when investigations have been compromised and said these cases are typically referred to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, but was recently advised that cases involving decoy accounts are not prosecuted when the investigations are not backed by law enforcement.
Barton said detectives obtained additional information and Gentry’s device on Sunday, October 25.
Gentry was arrested on Sunday, October 25, and booked into the Pulaski County Jail on an initial charge of possession of child pornography, a Level 4 Felony.
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