Walter Louis Gafvert III
Walter Louis Gafvert III Santa Cruz County Sheriff

A California man who pleaded not guilty Friday to child pornography charges was accused of brazenly downloading more child porn on his phone while being interviewed by police.

Walter Louis Gafvert III, 48, of Boulder Creek, Calif., pleaded not guilty Friday to a charge of possessing child pornography in Santa Cruz County Superior Court, the Santa Cruz Sentinel reported. Santa Cruz County Superior Court Judge Timothy Volkmann increased Gafvert’s bail to $25,000 from $5,000. He faces up to three years in prison if convicted of the charge. Gafvert was unable to make bail as of Friday.

An investigation into Gafvert’s alleged child porn activities began in July when a law enforcement effort known as the Silicon Valley Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force informed the Santa Cruz Police Department about the Boulder Creek man’s alleged crimes, according to the Sentinel.

Police obtained a search warrant for Gafvert’s home and seized thousands of images and videos of child porn, according to CBS San Francisco. Gafvert was then taken to a Santa Cruz police station to be interviewed. While being questioned, officers allegedly found that the 48-year-old was actively downloading child porn on his phone.

The Boulder Creek man then allegedly told cops he had an addiction to child pornography and methamphetamine and gave a confession, according to CBS San Francisco.

Police are going through the child porn images and videos to determine if any local children are depicted in the shots, but investigators told the Sentinel it appears that no local children were involved in the pornography. Meanwhile, officials at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and the Child Victim Protection Program are also combing through the porn to help identify the children.

Gafvert’s next court appearance is scheduled for Aug. 26, when a preliminary hearing is expected to start in the case.

California Criminal Law