Post Falls man arrested on suspicion of having child pornography

A Post Falls man was arrested Tuesday after police were tipped off that he allegedly was sharing child pornography online.

Traves J. Dawson, 29, was arrested on suspicion of three counts of sexual exploitation of a minor by distribution and seven counts of sexual exploitation of a minor by possession, Post Falls Police Department said in a news release.

Police began investigating after numerous tips with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children were reported by the messaging app Kik, which alleged that Dawson shared child pornography with other offenders using the app, the department said in its release.

Kik provides more anonymity for its users, compared with other social media apps.

Police served a search warrant at Dawson’s home on the 100 block of North Cambie Street and discovered pornography on his cellphone, which included photos and videos of prepubescent victims, the department said.

Dawson’s digital devices have been submitted to the department’s forensics lab for further analysis. Additional charges may be added, police said.

The Post Falls Police Department asks that anyone with information about persons involved in child exploitation contact the department or file a tip with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at missingkids.org.