Clanton man charged with sexual abuse, producing child pornography
Published 6:59 pm Friday, July 6, 2012
Clanton Police on Friday arrested and charged a man with sexually abusing minors and for crimes related to child pornography.
Manuel Alvarez, 50, who lives off Temple Road, is being held in Chilton County Jail with no bond. He faces at least 26 counts of possession of child pornography, production of child pornography and sexual abuse of a child under the age of 12, a Class A felony.
Clanton Police Department Detective Robert Bland said investigators are still trying to determine how many victims are involved.
“It’s still under investigation,” Bland said. “We don’t know how many people this is going to end up including.”
Following an anonymous tip, Bland and fellow investigator David Clackley worked on the case for about a month, they said.
Officers executed a search warrant at Alvarez’s home at 8:43 a.m. Friday. They confiscated computers, storage devices, cameras, cell phones and other items containing evidence of abuse.
About 90,000 images and 200 videos containing pornographic material were found, including material that was both downloaded from the internet and allegedly produced by Alvarez.
All known victims were under the age of 11, Bland said.
The investigators urged anyone with information about abuse to call Bland at 755-1194 ext. 317, or to call the department’s secret witness line at 755-1416.
“We are working closely with Child Protect Child Advocacy Center, customs enforcement, the district attorney’s office and Homeland Security to make sure he is prosecuted to the fullest extent, and to make sure we’re able to provide help for any victims out there,” CPD Chief Brian Stilwell said.
Alvarez, who was born in California, has lived in Clanton since 2008.