LEESBURG, Va. — A months-long investigation into suspected child sexual abuse material led Leesburg police to a Marlow Street home Thursday, where detectives executed a search warrant and arrested a 60-year-old Leesburg man.
Mark A. Leonard was charged with one count of possession of child pornography, according to the Leesburg Police Department. Police said they took him to the Loudoun County Adult Detention Center, where he is being held without bond.
The investigation began in February, when Leesburg police received a CyberTipline report from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, or NCMEC. According to police, the report involved suspected online activity connected to someone living in Leesburg.
Police said they later received additional information from NCMEC indicating that further suspected incidents involving the same individual continued while the investigation was underway.
Detectives executed a search warrant Sept. 24 at a residence in the 100 block of Marlow Street SW, a residential area near downtown Leesburg. Investigators seized items they described as having evidentiary value. Investigators expect to further examine and analyze the items.
Leonard was arrested following the search.
The case remains under investigation, and police said they could file additional charges depending on what investigators find during their examination of the seized evidence.
The allegations against Leonard are charges, not a finding of guilt.
Anyone with information that could assist investigators is asked to contact the Leesburg Police Department at 703-771-4500.
