Photo Credit: Fontana Police Department
A San Diego man who petitioned authorities so he wouldn't have to register as a sex offender was found to be in possession of child pornography Fontana police said.
A spokeman for the Fontana police department said the investigation began into Joseph Welsh after the suspect was noticed taking inappropriate photos of young girls wearing bathing suits at a birthday party last weekend.
The 47-year-old was confronted by parents, who took away his phone and called police. Welsh was held at the home until police arrived and the investigation could begin. Police say detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit served a search warrant at Welsh's home and business where they found several devices containing child pornography. Welsh was arrested early Monday morning and booked into the West Valley Detention Center in Rancho Cucamonga.
Jail records dating from the 1990s indicate that Welsh had previously been convicted on possession of child pornography and child annoyance. He was required to register as a sex offender in 2014, but he successfully petitioned the court saying that his crimes were not as serious as other child sex crimes.