Garrett Michael Highlander, a 20-year-old from Morgantown, West Virginia , was arrested after authorities investigated a Discord account allegedly used to discuss, seek and share child sexual abuse material. He has since been charged with possession of material depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct.
West Virginia State Police said the investigation followed multiple reports about the account, which investigators eventually linked to Highlander, as per reports .
4. He allegedly told police he was “trolling”
The allegations against him have not been proven in court. Highlander is from Morgantown, West Virginia. Highlander was arrested on August 21 and booked into the North Central Regional Jail. He was being held on a $100,000 bond, according to reports. State police arrested him after executing a search warrant at a residence there on August 21, according to a criminal complaint reviewed by WBOY and cited by People.
Police nevertheless said they found alleged child sexual abuse material on one of his devices during the search.
The investigation began after the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children submitted 48 cybertip reports concerning a Discord user who allegedly boasted about possessing a large collection of child sexual abuse material. Here are five things to know about Highlander and the investigation.
