A Simi Valley teenager is facing nearly 22 counts of child sexual abuse and possession of more than 600 images depicting the sexual exploitation of children and infants, authorities said Friday.
The suspect, 17, was arrested Tuesday after the FBI executed a search warrant at the child's home, according to the Ventura County District Attorney's Office.
That search and arrest followed an investigation launched in August by the district attorney's child exploitation and human trafficking unit after receiving multiple tips about the distribution of child pornography online, prosecutors said.
According to authorities, the teenager is currently being held at the Ventura County Juvenile Facilities in Oxnard, and is facing 15 counts of using a child to commit sexual acts and seven counts of possessing and distributing child pornography.
The child also faces two separate charges of possession of more than 600 images of child sexual abuse, as well as images of sexual abuse, according to authorities.
The child, whose name has not been released, had his first court appearance on Thursday and will return for a pre-trial conference on December 31.
The Simi Valley Police Department and the Ventura County High Tech Task Force assisted the FBI in serving the search warrant.
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