A cyber tip received by the Starkville Police Department in February led to an arrest Wednesday in Clay County.
Alexis Jimenez Balan, 30, of Tabasco, Mexico, was charged with distribution of child sexual abuse materials, according to a Wednesday press release from SPD.
After SPD received the cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Feb. 18, the department’s cyber unit initiated an investigation.
SPD was assisted by the U.S. Marshals Service Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force, Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the release said.
Due to Balan’s immigration status, ICE has requested law enforcement hold him for a brief period until the agency can take custody. Six other persons residing in the country illegally were also arrested by ICE during the investigation.
Anyone with information connected to the incident is encouraged to contact the Starkville Police Department at (662) 323-4131 or Golden Triangle Crime Stoppers at (800) 530-7151. SPD also has an anonymous tip system on its website. Crime Stoppers may offer a cash reward.
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