Othello man arrested in child porn bust

OTHELLO — The Othello Police Department made an arrest in a child pornography investigation Thursday, according to a statement from the OPD.

Andres Burgos-Silva, 23, of Othello was arrested on charges of sexual exploitation of a minor, second-degree extortion, communication with a minor for immoral purposes, first-degree dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, first-degree possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct and first-degree attempted possession of depictions of minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct, according to the statement.

OPD officers have been collaborating for a number of months with the Tooele Police Department in Tooele, Utah to find a suspect, since identified as Burgos-Silva, who was alleged to have extorted and sexually exploited an 11-year-old girl in Tooele, according to the statement. The girl is safe and was never harmed, law enforcement said.

Additional investigation determined that Burgos-Silva was allegedly in possession of, and suspected of sharing, child sexual abuse material on a cellular chat application and other popular social media applications, according to the OPD statement. A brief analysis of some of Burgos-Silva’s electronic devices suggested that there are additional victims from around the United States, whom police are working to identify. All of the evidence was digital, the statement said, and the investigation is ongoing.

Anyone with information associated with the case is asked to contact the Othello Police Department at 509-488-3314.