Details Emerge Following Northport Child Porn Arrest

Tuscaloosa AL

18 January, 2021

10:48 AM

Description

NORTHPORT, AL — Court documents filed Friday detail the charges against a Northport man facing four counts of child pornography possession. Patch reported last week when investigators with the West Alabama Human Trafficking Task Force announced the arrest of Garrett Hunter Allen, 18, at his home on Northwind Drive in Northport last Thursday and booked into the Tuscaloosa County Jail with bond set at $50,000. Click here to subscribe to our daily email newsletters and breaking news alerts delivered to your inbox and mobile devices for free. You can also support local journalism by donating as little as $5 a month to become a supporting member or by downloading our free Patch mobile app. Charging documents filed in Tuscaloosa County District Court Friday indicate that investigators found five videos stored on Allen's phone and tablet that depicted young children being sexually abused. When questioned, according to the court file, Allen told police that someone had sent him the videos on the Kik app, a messaging service that allows users to anonymously sign up for accounts without requiring a verified phone number. "Mr. Allen confessed to being part of group chats in Kik where unknown people would send him videos of child pornography and tell him to send it to whoever he thought might be interested in it," the investigators wrote. The investigators are expected to conduct forensic exams of the phone and tablet. A press release issued Thursday by the task force indicated the case remains under investigation. Follow Patch here for updates or on Facebook and Twitter. You can also download the Patch mobile app, free for Apple and Android mobile devices.