Switching Data to New Phone Uncovers Child Pornography Files

A Waverly man is named in a federal case filed in Syracuse in an investigation into child pornography.

Prosecutors say a cellphone store employee in Sayre, who was transferring data from 23-year-old Mahkya Searles’ old phone to a new device, found a large number of stored child porn files.

Searles was arrested after police seized his phones. The charges were filed in Federal Court in Syracuse March 21 as a result of the investigation that began earlier in the  month.

Prosecutors said Searles admitted to having a problem and had viewed images of child pornography for many years.

Searles is being held awaiting his next scheduled court hearing in early April.