CASPER — A 59-year-old man investigators say is linked to more than 1,000 images and videos of child pornography and erotica as well as drug possession pleaded not guilty in Natrona County District Court on Thursday.
Mark Anthony Chanez, who court documents show told investigators he was really attempting to report the pornography files to Casper police, appeared before District Court Judge Catherine Wilking to face nine felony charges in the case.
He was in civilian clothes, out on a $75,000 cash or surety bond, and stood beside his attorney, Kurt Infanger, while wearing a brown jacket and jeans, his long thinning black hair pulled back into a ponytail, glasses in the middle of his nose.
Wilking summarized the six sexual exploitation of children charges against him alleged to have occurred between April 2 and Nov. 20, 2024, and the three felony charges of possession of a controlled substance due to his prior convictions on drug charges.
Investigators said they found marijuana, meth and illegal mushrooms in his possession.
Wilking told him the child pornography charges each carry a potential 10-year prison sentence and the controlled substances charges can result in up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine each.
Chanez told the judge he understood the charges and penalties, to which he pleaded “not guilty.”
The judge told him she would set a trial date.
The arrest affidavit filed by Wyoming Division of Criminal Investigation agents against Chanez states their investigation began with a cyber tip where an individual uploaded 190 files of “apparent child pornography.”
The Investigation
A search warrant of online activity found 48 files depicting child pornography that included videos of adults involved in sex acts with children and at least 1,083 files depicting child erotica. The accounts related to the activity pointed investigators to Chanez, the affidavit states.
Agents obtained a warrant to search Chanez and his vehicle, which they did Nov. 20.
“Chanez was reluctant to be truthful with agents regarding his involvement with child pornography, and his story changed several times throughout the interview,” the arrest affidavit states. “Chanez initially provided the wrong passcode to his (phone). … Chanez later provided the correct passcode.”
Searches of Chanez’s cellphone found six videos of children in sex acts including rape.
During an interview with agents, Chanez allegedly told them he was “collecting” the files from Facebook so he could later report those files to Facebook.
Chanez also told agents that he had attempted to report child pornography files to the Casper Police Department. A search of Casper police records showed “Chanez had no call involvements whatsoever in the local police database regarding him ever attempting to report child pornography files,” the affidavit states.
While executing the search warrant on Chanez, agents also found controlled substances in his living room that included small packages of methamphetamine, small packages of psilocybin mushrooms and 13.5 grams of marijuana.
Chanez “admitted” the drugs inside the residence belonged to him, the affidavit states.
The judge continued Chanez’s $75,000 bond. A trial date will be determined.
Dale Killingbeck can be reached at dale@cowboystatedaily.com.
