SCRANTON — Two Scranton men are facing felony charges following a Feb. 6 search of their residence, according to Lackawanna County District Attorney Brian Gallagher.
Lawrence Ortiz Sr., 42, of 805 Columbia St.. is charged with illegal possession a firearm, possession with intent to deliver narcotics and other offenses. Lawrence Ortiz Jr. 19, at the same address, is charged with possession and dissemination of child sexual abuse materials and other offenses.
According to a criminal complaint:
On Feb. 6, members of the Northeast Pennsylvania Computer Crimes Task Force, Scranton Police Street Crimes Unit and Lackawanna County detectives served a search warrant on the residence following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone from the address was uploading child sexual abuse materials to Snapchat and KIK.
Investigators entered the residence and encountered Ortiz Sr. coming out of a bedroom where three handguns were later found.
Officers noted Ortiz Sr. is prohibited from owning a firearm due to a 2017 felony drug conviction.
Investigators also spoke with Ortiz Jr., who admitted that the Snapchat and KIK accounts belonged to him, and he had uploaded sexual child abuse material in order to sell it to an unnamed man in New York.
Ortiz Jr. told investigators he forwarded the images to the unnamed man, but hadn’t received money from him as promised.
During a subsequent search, investigators found three handguns including a “ghost gun,” multiple boxes of ammunition, quantities of heroin, cocaine and fentanyl, packaging material and electronic devices used to download child sexual abuse material.
“This case exemplifies law enforcement’s commitment to collaborate and aggressively investigate and prosecute individuals who exploit children, traffic deadly narcotics, and possess illegal firearms,” Gallagher said. “We remain steadfast in our mission to make the streets of Lackawanna County safer.”
Ortiz Sr. remains at Lackawanna County Prison in lieu of $150,000 bail. Ortiz Jr. remains at the prison in lieu of $20,000 bail. Ortiz Sr.’s hearing is scheduled for 9 a.m. on Feb. 20 before District Judge Laura Turlip. Ortiz Jr.’s hearing was Feb. 18 before Turlip; the case was transferred to the Court of Common Pleas.
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