A city man — identified by police as a member of the Altoona Pred Hunters group — was taken into custody after a tip to FBI Pittsburgh resulted in a monthlong investigation that uncovered his alleged large-scale purchase and distribution of child sexual abuse material across multiple social media and messaging platforms.

The investigation into James A. Stehley, 46, began when the FBI at Pittsburgh forwarded a child pornography tip to the state Attorney General’s Office on Dec. 20. The individual who submitted the tip said Stehley was using the social media platform Threads to solicit child sexual abuse material using coded language and that Stehley had a sexually explicit exchange with an account claiming to be a 14-year-old girl, according to the affidavit of probable cause.

Officers viewed Stehley’s account and noted his only posts are advertising child porn and looking to trade the materials using coded language, as well as trying to meet juvenile females. When officers met Stehley outside his residence along the 5900 block of Evergreen Court on Jan. 9, Stehley denied having child pornography and refused to consent to a search of his electronic devices. He also denied having his cellphone before quickly trying to go back inside his home, the police report states.

Officers stopped Stehley, saying he was detained for the investigation and would not be able to re-enter the building out of fear that he would destroy evidence.

Eventually, due to Stehley’s frantic nature and refusal to stand still, Stehley was told he was being placed into handcuffs for everyone’s safety. After hearing this, and having paced closer to the door of the building, Stehley attempted to flee inside. He was then taken to the ground and handcuffed, the report states.

A search by officers following the execution of a search warrant yielded two laptops, four cellphones, three SD cards, an external hard drive and seven flash drives. A forensic extraction of the cellphone identified as Stehley’s showed Stehley and another individual exchanging child porn, with it “being readily apparent” that the victims were “under the age of 12.” In discussing what material they possessed, the individual interacting with Stehley stated they had a video involving a 4-year-old child, which Stehley refused as they were “too young” and that he “prefers pre-teens and young teens,” the report states.

The extraction also showed Stehley had a collection of hundreds of photos and videos of child sexual abuse, as well as sexually explicit interactions between Stehley and different accounts of users claiming to be 13, 12 and 11 years of age. There were also numerous exchanges in which he attempted to purchase or trade for additional abuse materials. Stehley also messaged an account, offering to sell his abuse collection for $350, the affidavit states.

The extraction ultimately preserved about 188 different conversations, the majority of which allegedly showed Stehley sending and receiving child porn. The officers’ investigation concluded that Stehley was involved in the large-scale purchase and distribution of child sexual abuse material across multiple platforms and was actively attempting to sell the material for his own financial gain. Officers noted that, at one point, Stehley was also actively engaging with a profile in regards to the possible trafficking of a 13-year-old female to his location for sex, the report states.

Stehley was arraigned Wednesday by Magisterial District Judge Benjamin F. Jones on 78 felony counts of child sexual abuse material, eight felony counts of disseminating photos/film of child sex acts/abuse materials and single felony counts of counts of escape, corruption of minors, sexual abuse of a child, communicate with minor – sexual abuse, criminal use of a communication facility, criminal attempt to deal in unlawful proceeds, criminal attempt to disseminate child sexual abuse materials, criminal attempt to commit statutory sexual assault, criminal solicitation of the sexual abuse of a child and criminal solicitation of child sexual abuse materials.

Stehley also faces a single misdemeanor count of evading arrest. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for Jan. 28.

He remains incarcerated at the Blair County Prison in lieu of $400,000 bail.