Cyber Crimes Unit Arrests Yell County Man

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Courtesy of AG Tapings – Dara Torres on March 2, 2010, source http://www.flickr.com/photos/centurycouncil/4457608239/

LITTLE ROCK | Attorney General Dustin McDaniel announced today that agents from his office have arrested a Yell County man for possession of child pornography.

Ronnie Ponder, 28, of Dardanelle was arrested Tuesday on 30 counts of distributing, possessing or viewing matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, a Class C felony. Ponder is being held at the Yell County Detention Center on a $100,000 bond.

Agents with the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit executed a search warrant at Ponder’s residence in the 100 block of Maple Street in Dardanelle on Tuesday. Investigators confiscated a desktop computer, a laptop, an external hard drive, a flash drive, a cell phone and other electronic evidence. That evidence will be analyzed at the Cyber Crimes Unit Forensic Lab in Little Rock.

Special Agent Chad Meli began investigating Ponder after suspecting that child pornography was being possessed at his residence.

The Dardanelle Police Department assisted in the investigation and arrest.

The Attorney General’s Office will turn over its completed case file to 15th Judicial District Prosecuting Attorney Tom Tatum.

Charges are merely accusations and a defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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