Contra Costa County Man With Over 600 Images Of Child Sexual Abuse Material Arrested: Police

CONTRA COSTA COUNTY, CA — An Antioch man faces four felony complaints after investigators found hundreds of images of child sexual abuse material uncovered in a search of the man's home on Tuesday, according to police.

Walnut Creek police arrested 32-year-old Ryan Allen Fenton on suspicion of possession of child pornography following a more than year-long investigation.

The Contra Costa District Attorney originally filed a complaint against Fenton on Feb. 3, 2025. The complaint was amended and refiled on Tuesday after investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force found additional evidence that Fenton had child sexual abuse material, according to the Contra Costa District Attorney's Office.

Fenton was arraigned Wednesday morning in the Martinez Superior Court. He was charged with two felony counts for possessing more than 600 images of child or youth pornographic material on or about Oct. 23, 2024, and Nov. 25th, 2025.

The possession of child sexual abuse material is not a victimless crime, District Attorney Diana Becton said in a news release. "It is an act that perpetuates the sexual abuse of children and fuels a criminal enterprise." Becton said, "every image and video represents an assault on a child."

The search for suspected child pornography in Fenton's home in the 1600 block of Lipton Street near Trembath Lane in Antioch led to a bomb squad, hazmat alert, and Fenton's arrest.

Walnut Creek Police detectives discovered suspected illegal fireworks during the search of Fenton's home in the 1600 block of Lipton Street near Trembath Lane in Antioch, according to Lt. Drew Olson. Walnut Creek Police Department's bomb squad was called in at 9:02 a.m. to handle the material, Olson said. Bomb technicians identified materials they decided needed required further evaluation, prompting a response from the Contra Costa County Fire Protection District's hazmat team.

Fenton’s preliminary hearing is set for 8:30 a.m. on Dec. 9 in Martinez. He is in custody at the Martinez Detention Facility on a $200,000 bond.