Benton police have arrested two central Arkansas men in the last three months on child pornography charges.
Benton Police Department’s special investigative unit first received information that Johnathan Ivy, 22, of Arkadelphia had attempted to initiate sexual contact with a female girl on Feb. 24, a news release states.
Ivy corresponded with investigators posing as the girl by sharing explicit pictures and information with officers. He was arrested March 28 by Benton police detectives and charged with computer child pornography, pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child and sexually grooming a child.
Detectives later received information that led them to Richard Washam, 24, of Pine Bluff, police said. Washam also had corresponded with investigators posing as a juvenile girl by sharing explicit pictures and information and had initiated a meeting with the girl for the purpose of deviate sexual activity.
Washam was arrested Monday at a prearranged meeting spot, police said.
He was charged with Internet stalking of a child, computer child pornography, pandering or possessing visual or print medium depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child and sexually grooming a child. Washam is an active parolee out of the Arkansas Department of Community Corrections and is now being held there without bond.
The investigation is ongoing and additional charges could be forthcoming, police said.