Salinas Man Arrested In Nationwide Child Porn Search

An investigation that started overseas, turns into a nationwide manhunt bringing federal, state and local authorities on the Central Coast together, to arrest an alleged child predator.

Investigators said 58-year-old David Stevens is a child predator who made child pornography and was living in Salinas. On Thursday we got chilling details surrounding the man’s arrest. We went to the Salinas neighborhood where residents said on Wednesday, the investigation lasted all day.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said within 24 hours of releasing information on Stevens, initially named John Doe, someone gave them a tip. Neighbors said they’re stunned.

“That’s, I don’t know, I don’t like that, there’s too many kids for that to be happening on my block,” said resident Benjamin Barragen.

Last Friday, Homeland Security Investigators said they started looking for Stevens without any information on his identity or location. They only knew he was somewhere in the U.S. based on a bag of pretzels seen in a picture. Investigators said four videos of child pornography with dated on April 14 and 27 were first discovered by the Danish National Police on May 3 and were referred to U.S. law enforcement.

Neighbors said if they’d know there was a nationwide manhunt for a man accused of making child pornography in their neighborhood, they would have reported it to police right away.

“I would have, if I knew what was going on. If I suspected, cause I’ve never seen the older man come out of the house. I never thought of anything like that,” Barragen said.

Salinas police said Stevens wasn’t with a child during the arrest. But a child victim identified in the case was rescued. Investigators said the victim he recorded being sexually abused was believed to be 7 to 9 years old.

“We were very concerned that the victims in this case were suffering ongoing abuse, that’s why it was so important to move quickly,” said Salinas Police Chief Kelly McMillin.

We tried to speak with the family still living at the house but they wouldn’t comment. Stevens made his first appearance in a San Jose federal courtroom on Thursday.