Courts. (Credit: Flickr/Creative Commons)
A Bucks County man free on $50,000 unsecured bail heads to Bucks County Court next month on felony charges of possession of child pornography and criminal use of communications devices for allegedly sharing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) files on Kik between September 9 and December 31, 2024.
A felony charge of disseminating photos or films of children in sex acts was withdrawn at a preliminary hearing Thursday before Magisterial District Judge Lisa J. Gaier against David Krom, 48, of Richland Township, who also has an address in North Plainfield, NJ, according to court records.
On Dec. 16, 2024, the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office began an investigation of a CyperTip submitted to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children via MediaLab/Kik, according to the criminal complaint. The original CyperTip was received by NCMEC n Sept. 21, 2024.
The tip indicated a Kik user sharing two CSAM files through the online platform on Sept. 9 at 1:34 p.m. and 1:40 p.m., according to the affidavit. Kik turned over IP addresses the screen/user name and all other pertinent information to authorities.
Furthermore, Kik provided device manufacturer information for the device used to register the account, which was an Apple iPhone, police said.
Authorities allege the two IP addresses were connected to one Kik account and both were used to share CSAM files. The IP addresses were registered to Verizon, which, when subpoenaed, turned over records to investigators showing Krom as the registered owner of the IP addresses, according to the complaint.
Authorities said Kik account records were obtained via search warrant and reviewed by investigators. Within the CSAM videos and among the media files on the account were selfies of Krom, police said. Account records allegedly showed information related to the distribution of CSAM files from Krom’s Kik account to another user.
Police executed a search warrant on Krom’s home on New Year’s Eve, seizing numerous devices, including an iPhone, Apple iPad, a Google Pixel phone, a MacBook, several laptops, and several storage drives, according to the affidavit.
During the warrant, Krom was interviewed by investigators, including Warrington Township Police and Homeland Security special agents, where he allegedly admitted to having accessed and distributed CSAM via Kik.
Formal arraignment in Bucks County Common Pleas Court is set for June 6.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
