The Summit County Sheriff's Office made an arrest on Wednesday, after an extensive investigation into a Sexual Exploitation of a Child case.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: August 3, 2022
Contact: Christine Duplan, Public Information Officer
(970) 423-8901
Christine.Duplan@summitcountyco.gov
SUMMIT COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE MAKES ARREST IN SEXUAL EXPLOITATION OF A CHILD INVESTIGATION
SUMMIT COUNTY, CO – The Summit County Sheriff’s Office has made an arrest in a Sexual Exploitation of a Child investigation.
On May 7, 2022, the Silverthorne Police Department received information from Colorado Ped Patrol (CPP). CPP is a non-profit that self-identifies as a group that catches online predators to protect children. CPP reported that, Chad Manning (DOB 01-16-80), had allegedly solicited a female member of their group, posing as a 13-year-old girl, for sex through text messages. Silverthorne Police quickly determined that the solicitation originated from inside unincorporated Summit County and subsequently turned the information over to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office.
During what turned out to be an extensive and comprehensive investigation, Manning ultimately cooperated with Detectives. A forensic examination of the phone revealed numerous photographs of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM)/Child Pornography.
Today, following the issuance of an arrest warrant that included 10 counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child (Class 5 Felony), Manning was placed into custody without incident at the Summit County Justice Center.
Summit County Sheriff Jaime FitzSimons stated, “These types of investigations are always difficult, and I appreciate the initial work from our law enforcement partners at the Silverthorne Police Department, as well as the dedicated effort, tenacity and persistence put in by our Criminal Investigation Section that ultimately brought this investigation to a successful conclusion. This type of high quality investigative work reflects the Summit County Sheriff’s Office commitment toward making the community safer.”
The Summit County Sheriff’s Office is asking anyone who might have additional information on this case to please call Detective Sergeant Mark Gafari at 970-423-8960.
This case has been turned over to the 5th Judicial District Attorney’s Office. No further details will be released at this time.
If you suspect a child may be sexually exploited, you can contact the Summit County Communications Center non-emergency number at 970-668-8600, or the national CyberTipline at 1-800-843-5678 (1-800-THE-LOST). The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children receives information through CyberTipline, a centralized reporting system for online exploitation of children. Reports may also be made 24-hours a day, 7 days a week online at www.cybertipline.org.
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