UPDATE: Isaac R. Gardner previously pleaded guilty in Clark County Superior Court to three counts of first-degree possessing depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct and was sentenced April 5, 2019, to 46 months in prison, online court records show.
A 26-year-old Vancouver man accused of possessing and sharing child pornography appeared Friday morning in Clark County Superior Court.
Isaac R. Gardner faces 10 counts each of first-degree possessing and dealing in depictions of a minor engaged in sexually explicit conduct, court records show.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, an agent with Homeland Security Investigations was working undercover July 19 when she came across an internet protocol, or IP, address associated with 21 files of suspected child pornography. The agent downloaded the files and discovered 10 videos and 10 images depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The case was referred to the Vancouver Police Department’s Digital Evidence Cybercrime Unit for further investigation after the IP address was traced to the area. The IP address was then traced to Gardner’s residence, where he lives with his mother and her husband, the affidavit states.
Investigators served a search warrant Oct. 4 at Gardner’s home and contacted him at his workplace, during which time he agreed to be interviewed.
Gardner allegedly admitted to viewing child pornography for several years, and viewing it on his cellphones, as well as old computers he no longer uses in his bedroom. Gardner said he browses the “dark web” to find links to child pornography and then engages in peer-to-peer sharing. He told investigators they would find child pornography on his computer, court records state.
Investigators seized Gardner’s computers and found numerous files containing child pornography, according to court documents.
On Friday, Deputy Prosecutor Brian Pruett requested a bail amount of $15,000, arguing that there are concerns due to the large amount of child pornography police found during their investigation. Pruett noted that Gardner has no criminal record.
Judge Gregory Gonzales set bail at $10,000. Gardner will be arraigned Oct. 12.
Columbian staff writer Jerzy Shedlock contributed to this story.
