Sparks man arrested for alleged possession of child sexual abuse material

SPARKS, Nev. (KOLO) – The Washoe County Sheriff's Office Human Exploitation and Recovery Operations Unit (HERO) has arrested a Sparks man for alleged possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).

Investigators say the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) in July. The tip identified CSAM uploads to Kik that came from an address in Sparks.

The ICAC task force determined that the uploads all came from the home of 68-year-old Merlyn Bonham Jr.

According to WCSO, additional incriminating evidence was found on Bonham's phone, leading to his arrest.

Bonham was arrested Thursday and is currently being held at the Washoe County Detention Center on charges of possessing, distributing and using the Internet to control child sexual abuse material involving a minor under the age of 16.

In 2024, the Washoe County Sheriff's Office established the HERO Unit to combat human trafficking and exploitation throughout the region. This specialized unit brings together law enforcement personnel from the Washoe County Sheriff's Office, University Police and Pyramid Lake Police Department.

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