WEST EARL TOWNSHIP POLICE DEPARTMENT
157 W. Metzler Road
Brownstown, PA 17508
PRESS RELEASE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Child Pornography
West Earl Township, Pa – A Brownstown male was charged with (7) different felony charges for being in possession of child pornography and in possession of instruments used to obtain the child pornography.
On September 9th The West Earl Township Police Department with the assistance of the Lancaster County Computer Crimes Task Force executed a search warrant at 38 E. Main Street Brownstown, PA as part of an investigation into the possession and distribution of child pornography. Detective Dawn Ray was investigating a cybertip received from the Delaware County Internet Crimes Against Children Agency, that Garth Bates (50 yoa) had uploaded suspected child pornography content through a Yahoo email account.
Pursuant to the search warrant a laptop, tablet computer, and a cellphone were seized as part of the investigation. These items were forensically examined by the Lancaster County Computer crimes lab; The electronic devices seized contained (606) child pornography related images.
Detective Ray filed the following charges against Bates: (1) count of Possession of Child Pornography (F2), (1) count of Possession of Children Pornography (F3), (4) counts of Criminal Use of Communication Facility (F3), (1) count of Dissemination of Photographs / Video of Child Sex Acts (F2).
On October 27 7, 2021 at 2:15 PM Garth Bates, with his attorney present, turned himself in on felony child pornography charges at Magisterial District Justice, Jonathan Heisse’s office.
Bates received $20,000.00 unsecured bail as a result of his formal arraignment. Bates came to WEPD’s station to be fingerprinted and photographed.
The public and media are reminded that all criminal charges are merely accusations and all subjects are innocent until proven guilty.
Jordan Byrnes, Public Information Officer
