Stephen Bates was arrested and charged for baby pornography, as he faces 5 counts of possession of kid sexual abuse materials.
Nashua Police Division
A New Hampshire pastor has been charged with a number of counts of possessing baby pornography after a five-year investigation, in keeping with court docket paperwork.
Nashua police arrested Stephen Bates, 46, on March 15. The Bible Baptist Church pastor is now dealing with 5 counts of possession of kid sexual abuse materials (CSAM) and is being held on $3,000 money bail.
“I feel this case is especially regarding as a result of he's a pastor and someone that’s concerned in the neighborhood right here,” Nashua Police Lt. Brian Trefry advised WHDH.
The Nashua Police Division has been investigating Bates since 2016, when the division acquired 14 ideas from the Nationwide Middle for Lacking and Exploited Kids alleging that a consumer on the church had uploaded CSAM from an IP tackle main again to the church.
In October 2017, detectives spoke on to Bates and requested if he knew of any potential suspects. Bates allegedly advised authorities that he didn't know of any suspects and mentioned the church’s doorways are sometimes unlocked.
“Pastor Bates was thought of an individual of curiosity throughout the earlier investigations however till [March 15] there wasn’t ample proof to cost him with any crimes,” a press launch from the police division states.
In January 2019, Homeland Safety Investigations (HSI) of Manchester, New Hampshire, acquired a referral from HSI Colorado, which was conducting a web based baby sexual exploitation investigation. On-line accounts on Instagram and The Onion Router (Tor) pointed again to the Bible Baptist Church’s fundamental workplace.
Between 2019 and 2021, Nashua Police continued to obtain ideas pointing again to the Bible Baptist Church workplace. Police approved a federal search warrant and investigated digital units on the church, together with Bates’ private telephone, however discovered nothing of significance. Bates continued to inform investigators that he by no means consumed baby pornography.
Lastly, in 2021, a detective started an undercover dialog with a consumer who was utilizing an account identify much like these police had acquired in earlier ideas. Finally, one dialog “included the sexual exploitation of kids.” In February 2022, police linked the accounts — which have been concerned within the possession, distribution and manufacturing of CSAM — to Bates.
On March 15, police executed a search warrant and contacted Bates, who gave police two flash drives from his again pocket. The USBs confirmed numerous baby intercourse abuse photos, in keeping with the affidavit.
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