Federal agents on a plane Saturday reportedly arrested a co-pilot on charges of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).
The agents with Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) arrested the Delta Air Lines copilot at San Francisco International Airport after his flight arrived from Minneapolis, Fox Business reported on Sunday.
The outlet said a federal source confirmed the arrest was linked to CSAM.
Video footage appears to show the moment the agents, wearing their badges, were seen on the plane. The door of the cockpit was open and one man turned in his seat to look as the officers passed him:
A passenger named Sarah said several officers walked up the aisle, then “stormed the cockpit” before arresting the copilot, who has not yet been publicly identified, and escorted him off the plane, ABC 7 reported.
The outlet said in an update “The arrest warrant came from the Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Office and the man is being held on a $5 million bond, according to jail records.”
CSAM is a serious offense against children. Per the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN), CSAM is more commonly known as child pornography, and it is “evidence of child sexual abuse,” the organization said, noting such material is widely distributed online:
While some of the pornography online depicts adults who have consented to be filmed, that’s never the case when the images depict children. Just as kids can’t legally consent to sex, they can’t consent to having images of their abuse recorded and distributed. Every explicit photo or video of a kid is actually evidence that the child has been a victim of sexual abuse.
…
Studies have shown that the majority of those possessing and distributing CSAM also commit hands-on sexual offenses against minors. Most of the time, the abuse has been committed by someone that the child knows and trusts. Offenders often use grooming techniques to normalize sexual contact and encourage secrecy.
One of the crimes HSI investigates is child exploitation, according to its website.
“HSI is a global leader in the fight against child exploitation. This heinous crime harms the most vulnerable in our society: our kids. As technology evolves and more people have access to the internet, children are at a greater risk than ever,” it said.

COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.