A Batesville man currently jailed on felony charges related to child pornography is now facing a felony count of rape.
Christopher Daniel Otero (pictured), 33, was charged on Nov. 27 with two counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child.
Court records said the FBI alerted the Independence County Sheriff’s Department in late November about an ongoing investigation involving an undercover FBI agent who an individual approached in an online chat room known for exchanging images and videos of underage children.
In the chat room, the individual allegedly provided the undercover agent with sexually explicit photos of a juvenile.
After FBI agents obtained the individual’s IP and physical addresses, they executed a search warrant at an Independence County residence, where sheriff’s deputies seized electronic devices. Otero was arrested and jailed on Nov. 25 on a $100,000 bond.
On Wednesday, Dec. 11, Otero was also charged with felony rape after authorities matched his tattoos with those of a male subject in a video and images on a seized electronic device, according to court records. He was also charged with two additional felony counts of distributing, possessing, or viewing of matter depicting sexually explicit conduct involving a child. Otero was also being charged as a habitual offender.
His bond was increased to $500,000.
Image: Independence County Sheriff’s Department
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