LYNCHBURG, Va. (WSET) — On Friday, the Lynchburg Police Department (LPD) said there was an arrest in a child exploitation investigation.
LPD said this investigation resulted in the arrest of Andrew Joseph O’Hop on Thursday.
According to LPD, in January 2024, Detectives with the Lynchburg Police Department received multiple cyber tips from the Southern Virginia Internet Crimes Against Children (SOVA-ICAC) Task Force. These tips flagged an account suspected of containing Child-Sensitive Abuse Material (CSAM) uploaded to their cloud storage.
Detectives worked through these tips, obtaining search warrants and verifying the presence of CSAM on the flagged account. Further investigative efforts led to identifying a potential offender and an address through additional court orders, LPD said.
LPD said they executed multiple search warrants at the suspect’s residence, as well as on the suspect’s person and vehicle. During these operations, various electronic devices were seized.
According to LPD, after several months of a thorough investigation, charges were filed against Andrew Joseph O’Hop, 29 years of age, of Lynchburg.
LPD outlines the charges below:
O’Hop was taken into custody without incident and is currently being held at the Lynchburg Blue Ridge Jail pending a bond hearing, LPD said.
LPD said this case is a testament to the joint efforts of the Lynchburg Police Department, SOVA-ICAC, and other associated agencies.
"We extend our thanks to all involved for their hard work and dedication in bringing justice in this important matter," LPD said.