A Hot Springs man was arrested Wednesday on multiple felony charges involving child pornography after an investigation by Hot Springs police beginning in February.
Edwin Ray Price, 65, was taken into custody around 2:45 p.m. and charged with five counts of distributing, possessing or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child, punishable by up to 10 years in prison.
Price remained in custody Thursday in lieu of $25,000 bond.
According to the probable cause affidavit, on Feb. 2, Price's daughter was inside her father's former apartment in the 200 block of Civic Street when she saw what she believed to be an underage naked female on his laptop computer screen.
She reported this and another incident where Price allegedly made sexual comments to her 13-year-old daughter to police on Feb. 4.
Detective Hunter Scott executed a search warrant on Price's apartment on Feb. 5 and several electronic devices, including a laptop, were seized and sent to the state Crime Lab for forensic analysis.
On Feb. 25, the lab returned a report stating images and video consistent with child pornography were located on the laptop.
Lt. Duane Tarbet viewed the report and reportedly confirmed there were numerous images of young females between the ages of 8 and 16. The affidavit notes five images were found to contain what qualified as child pornography.
A warrant for Price's arrest was issued on April 5. According to court records, Price lists no prior felony criminal history.