MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

Stolen cell phone leads to arrest of Argentine pedophile

Chaco Security Minister Gloria Zalazar said she saw the pictures

A thief in the Argentine city of Resistencia, the capital of the northern province of Chaco, stole a cell phone containing child pornography and tipped the police, leading to the arrest of the alleged pedophile who owned it, it was reported this weekend.

The thief took screenshots of the contents and spread them through WhatsApp groups of which the phone's owner was a member. The Police Cybercrimes against Children and Adolescents Division was thus able to track and arrest a 45-year-old man who had stored the sexual abuse material in the “cloud” of his cell phone.

Chaco Security Minister Gloria Zalazar said she had seen anonymous messages alerting about the dissemination of inappropriate images in a WhatsApp group called “Experts 1.″ Then, Health Minister Carolina Centeno filed a formal complaint after receiving the same messages with pictures of child abuse.

”I found this cell phone and I upload the photos that are there,” read the message attached by the thief. At least three minors were involved, one of whom was said to be a neighbor of the suspect's.

Police sources said the suspect had reported the theft of a motorcycle to the police, but not of the cell phone. In his home, female underage clothes were seized, as well as pendrives, computers, and other materials that are still being examined.

Local authorities are still looking for the thief and the phone, believed to be in his possession.