Another Internet Child Predator Caught in Fort Morgan

FMPD -

The Fort Morgan Police Department received a tip from the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) regarding 34-year-old Richard Lara involving child pornography. A search warrant and an arrest warrant were executed on June 3rd, and Lara was arrested on 1 charge of Sexual Exploitation of a Child and was advised by a judge later in the afternoon. He was given a $50k cash/surety bond at advisement. This case is ongoing and may lead to further charges.

Richard Lara is a registered sex offender with a 2017 conviction for a similar crime. ICAC cases often require a significant amount of time to fully investigate. This is because they can take time to get search warrant information returned from internet providers, to determine who is using a specific IP address to download or upload illegal content. Once the information is returned, the police narrow down on a suspect, and all computers, phones, and other digital evidence that may be capable of sending or receiving these messages must be seized and forensically reviewed (often at a lab) for evidence. Only after the illegal content is located and the owner/possessor of the information is identified, is an arrest warrant sought.

The Fort Morgan Police Department has two investigators who are assigned to work all drug investigations and child pornography cases that come through our department.

*All charges are simply an accusation by law enforcement, and all parties must be presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.