Child porn suspect faces felony charges

A 27-year-old San Francisco man was charged with four felonies related to child pornography after he allegedly coerced a 10-year-old girl into trading graphic images of herself with him over the Internet, officials announced Wednesday.

Antonio Navarro was taken into custody by officers from San Francisco’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit on Nov. 9 in front of his house on the 100 block of Watchman Way, near the Potrero Hill Recreation Center and Playground, said Officer Grace Gatpandan, a police spokeswoman.

The investigation began in early October when the mother of the victim contacted police after finding sexually explicit conversations on the child’s cell phone, Gatpandan said.

The victim’s mother also discovered her daughter had allegedly been coaxed into sending Navarro graphic photos of herself and that he had sent similar images of himself to the child, Gatpandan said.

Navarro was in possession of images of the child at the time of his arrest, Gatpandan said.

Navarro was charged with using a minor for sex acts, possession or control of child pornography, sending harmful matter to a minor and meeting a minor for lewd purposes, all felonies, as well as child molesting and arranging a meeting with a minor for lewd purposes, both misdemeanors, according to prosecutors.

Navarro remained in custody in lieu of $275,000 bail and is scheduled to next appear in court Dec. 10.