Police arrest man in child pornography case
Investigation uncovers hundreds of files
– San Luis Obispo police arrested a man on Jan. 16 following an investigation into child pornography involving over 700 reported files. Detectives with the San Luis Obispo Police Department, working as part of the Central California Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force, arrested Gavin Joseph Spannbauer on felony possession charges.
The investigation began with 15 separate cybertips forwarded from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the police department. Electronic service providers, including platforms like Facebook, Google, and Reddit, generate cybertips when users are found uploading videos or images of child pornography. These tips are forwarded to the appropriate jurisdiction based on the geolocation of the user’s IP address.
Detectives served search warrants at Spannbauer’s residence, business, and vehicles, seizing dozens of electronic devices. Spannbauer was booked into San Luis Obispo County Jail on charges of felony possession of child pornography.
The San Luis Obispo County District Attorney’s Office has filed the following charges:
- Penal Code 311.11(a): Felony possession of child sexual abuse material
- Penal Code 311.11(c): Felony possession of child sexual abuse material in excess of 600 images
The investigation is ongoing, but detectives have stated they do not believe there are local victims.
Anyone with information related to the arrest is asked to contact Detective Marques at (805) 594-8060. The incident number is 240118047.
