HONESDALE – Nearly a year ago, county detectives first received a report that someone uploaded 16 files of apparent child pornography through the use of Dropbox.com, a personal cloud storage service that is frequently used for file sharing and collaboration.
Wayne County District Attorney Patrick Robinson said the materials were uploaded between Feb. 26 and Aug. 10, 2017 and the suspect used the screen name Alex Soto and three different IP addresses to access the internet. Wayne County officials received a second report in February of this year that another 14 files were uploaded between Aug. 19 and Nov. 21, 2017.
The investigation revealed that one of the IP addresses were registered to a Purdytown Turnpike (Route 590), Paupack Township, residence, where 20-year-old Alexander Soto lives. On May 10, the detectives executed a search warrant and seized several cell phones, one of which appeared to have been accessing Dropbox.com. A subsequent search warrant for two Dropbox.com accounts uncovered 250 photographs and videos of suspected child pornography.
Soto has been charged with 33 counts of sexual abuse of children for possession of child pornography, all are third degree felonies. He was arraigned before District Justice Bonnie Carney, and a preliminary hearing will be scheduled in the near future.