A Deschutes County man was arrested this week on suspicion of possessing dozens of images of child pornography.
Peter Bryan Hiatt, 72, was arraigned Friday in Deschutes County Circuit Court on 20 felony counts of encouraging child sex abuse.
Police were alerted to Hiatt through a tip. Investigators allegedly found on his computer numerous depictions of children being sexually abused. He was arrested Thursday and was lodged in the Deschutes County jail.
The case was started by the Redmond Police Department but forwarded to the Deschutes County Sheriff's Office when detectives determined the alleged crimes were committed within the sheriff's office's jurisdiction. Investigators with the sheriff's office learned from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that victims have been identified in 59 of the photographs allegedly found on Hiatt's computer.