Big Bear Lake, CALIF. — On November 20, 2019, Detective R. Weddel from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station opened an investigation on a case for possession of child pornography after receiving information from the tipline of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Images of under age children engaged in sexual acts were reported to be posted on a social media account with the profile name of Edgar Diaz. A search warrant for the identified profile was obtained and the account was accessed. Detective Weddel scoured through thousands of pages on the social media account which contained images, group chats, messages and IP address logs. A photograph of a vehicle shown on the social media account revealed a California license plate. A record check of the license plate confirmed the vehicle was registered to Edgar Perez Diaz and listed an address in the 700 block of Knickerbocker Road in Big Bear Lake.
Additional search warrants were obtained for subscriber information acquired from Diaz’s social media account. Through investigation, two additional possible addresses were located for Diaz, both in the 400 block of Georgia Street, Big Bear Lake. Surveillance was conducted on multiple dates at varying times to determine an exact address for Diaz.
On April 16, 2020, Detective Weddel and deputies from the Big Bear Sheriff’s Station served a search warrant at Diaz’s residence in the 400 block of Georgia Street, Big Bear Lake. Multiple electronic devices and external storage drives belonging to Diaz and believed to contain illicit pornographic images were seized. A further search warrant for the storage devices was obtained, and a forensic analysis was subsequently conducted on the devices by the Sheriff’s Department’s High-Tech Crimes Detail. A lengthy and thorough investigation resulted in thousands of media files ultimately being recovered from Diaz’s devices, including over 600 images and videos depicting prepubescent minor male and female children engaged in sexual acts.
Following the months-long investigation, the results of the forensic analysis were provided to Detective Weddel. Due to the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic during the investigative process, it was unknown whether Edgar Perez Diaz was employed or if he still lived at the previously identified residences. Surveillance was again conducted on multiple dates at varying times. Shortly after 6:15 a.m. on July 7, 2020, Edgar Perez Diaz was located at his house in the 400 block of Georgia Street in Big Bear Lake. Diaz was taken into custody without incident and booked in the Big Bear Jail on felony charges of possession of child pornography. Edgar Perez Diaz remains in custody on $75,000 bail pending an arraignment hearing scheduled for July 9 in San Bernardino County Superior Court.
