Police: 500 child-porn photos in home

AUSTIN (KXAN) - Police are looking for an Austin couple accused of forcing young children to do sexual acts for photos and videos.

Police believe Adrian Navarro, 29, and Mariana Garcia, 23, are trying to flee the area with at least two of the girls in the videos, both of whom appeared to be under 5.

The U.S. Marshals are helping in the search for the couple, who were questioned on Tuesday after police searched their home at South Cliff Apartments as part of an unrelated burglary investigation.

Police were searching the home with the couple's consent when they found a computer hard drive and several paper photographs inside a black carrying case.

Thirteen photos depicted child pornography. On one hard drive, police said they found 500 photographs and more than 15 pornographic videos of children under 18.

Some of the footage included a man who appeared to be Navarro engaging in a sex act with a girl under 5 years old, with Garcia nearby giving her instructions.

Both Navarro and Garcia are charged with aggravated sexual assault, a first-degree felony which carries a sentence of five to 99 years or life in prison, and a fine up to $10,000. Navarro is also charged with promoting child pornography, a second-degree felony.

According to Detective Joel Pridgeon with the Austin Police Department, some of the child pornography was filmed in Austin within the last year or so.

Neighbors said they have not seen the couple at their apartment for a couple days.

"They seemed totally normal," neighbor Bob Henry said.

Adrian Navarro and Mariana Garcia's neighbors had no idea.

"I can't believe it was so close, and I didn't know a damn thing about it," said neighbor Eileen Gomez. "It's so sick it just makes me want to throw up."

Police say if it were not for a series of burglaries in the neighborhood they would have never known.

While searching the apartment for evidence, an officer found a computer hard drive. By the time it was analyzed, the suspects had already fled.

"We’re looking for the exact location of the suspects and the kids involved,” said Detective Joel Pridgeon, calling it one of the more troubling cases he's investigated. "Right now everybody is missing."