MT. VERNON, IL — Jefferson County Sheriff’s deputies arrested a 72-year-old Mt. Vernon man Monday on multiple counts of distributing child pornography. Merlin C. Spath remains in the Jefferson County Jail awaiting the setting of bond in a case that’s the result of an investigation launched earlier this month  into alleged child pornography activity.

The Sheriff’s Office Detective division, through their membership with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, began an investigation into alleged child pornography activity, based on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). The investigation of internet and social media activity led to multiple search warrants for records and of the residence at 4303 Rose Lane Apartment #9 Mt. Vernon. On Monday, investigators with the Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at that Rose Lane apartment, which led to the arrest of Spath the primary resident.

He was transported to the Jefferson County Jail on nine counts of Distribution of Child Pornography.