DOTHAN, Ala. (WDNews)– A Dothan man, Christopher Edman, has been arrested and charged with seven counts of dissemination of obscene matter.
The charge means that 26-year- old Edman shared seven separate sexually explicit images of minors online.
Edman was booked into the Houston County Jail on April 2 , and is being held on a $210,000 bond, as confirmed by Lieutenant Scott Owens of the Dothan Police Department.
According to legal documents, Edman’s first court appearance was the morning of April 24.
According to Lt. Owens, the case began in November 2024, when a social media platform flagged the suspect’s activity and sent a report to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC).
“When those images are shared and moved around on social media,” Owens explained. “They are flagged by the companies and sent to the NCMEC.”
From there, the tip was routed to Alabama’s Crimes Against Children Task Force, who contacted the Dothan Police Department.
Police say the suspect likely shared pre-existing images that had already been circulating online.
“These crimes have significantly increased since 1991,” Owens said. “As the internet grows, so does the traffic [of illegal activity.]”
Owens explained that this does not mean sharing obscene photos is a recent epidemic. It just means it is easier to catch these offenses, increasing the volume of them.
“We always take these crimes seriously,” Owens said. “Our collaboration with social media companies has improved our ability to investigate these cases.”
According to court documents, the suspect has no prior criminal history.
His electronic devices have been seized, and if more illegal content is discovered, additional charges may follow. This case remains under investigation.
