A Summit County man has been charged with two counts of sexual exploitation of a child following an investigation into the sharing of eight videos featuring suspected child pornography.

Clint Ketchum, 43, of Breckenridge, faces one felony charge of sexual exploitation of a child and another felony charge of sexual exploitation of a child with intent to distribute.

Investigators received a notice from the Internet Crimes Against Children data system that a pair of cybertips involving child pornography on Kik Messenger were assigned to the Summit County Sheriff’s Office on Dec. 27, 2021.

The two tips were initially received by the Colorado Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force in Colorado Springs on Oct. 6, 2021. The task force reviewed the tips for possible criminal actions.

One video displayed an overlay with the word “liveme,” according to the affidavit in support of an arrest warrant. An investigator said they found numerous reports of pedophiles using the website “LiveMe” to livestream sexual acts of underage girls, according to the affidavit. The livestreams are then recorded and reposted as child pornography, the investigator reported.

In 2018, LiveMe deleted nearly 600,000 accounts belonging to children under the age of 13 after Fox11 in Los Angeles investigated instances of underage girls being manipulated to perform sexual acts on the streaming platform, in some cases for “coins,” the affidavit reads.

Investigators say the Kik Messenger account “mlando78” shared three videos of suspected child pornography on Oct. 29, 2020, with another user whose IP address located them in Breckenridge. The mlando78 account then reportedly sent five videos of suspected child pornography on Sept. 27, 2021, to a different IP address located in Denver.

According to the affidavit, both IP addresses were traced to a Comcast account in Frisco with the user ID of “ClintKetchum,” although the subscription is held in a different name. Investigators followed up by researching the address associated with the account and found Clint Ketchum’s name was linked to the property address in addition to the other name on the Comcast account, the affidavit states. Further research reportedly connected phone numbers and an email used on the Comcast account to Ketchum.

The same email address linked to Ketchum that was used on the Comcast account was also used by the Kik Messenger account while operating under the username mlando78, the affidavit states.

On Dec. 30, 2021, investigators drafted a search warrant to investigate all computers, hard drives, routers, other electronic devices and all forms of digital media at Ketchum’s residence. The warrant was approved Jan. 24.

On Jan. 31, members of the Summit County Sheriff’s Office went to Ketchum’s residence in Frisco to execute the search warrant. After ringing the doorbell, the other resident answered.

Before they could explain what the search warrant was in reference to, the resident said, “I had a feeling,” according to the affidavit. After being asked to clarify her statement, the resident reportedly said, “He was doing dude stuff.”

Members of the Sheriff’s Office searched the residence while Ketchum waited in the living room with another member of the Sheriff’s Office.

Investigators say the deputies’ body cameras picked up several statements from Ketchum. Law enforcement made Ketchum aware the cameras were active, according to the affidavit.

“They were just some pictures some guy sent me online. I’m not into anything. It was just something I was looking at,” Ketchum reportedly said, according to the affidavit. “I can’t believe how stupid I am for this. … I apologize that you guys are here.”

The only item seized in the search warrant was an Apple iPhone. No other electronic devices belonging to Ketchum were located, according to the affidavit. As of March 25, a month after Ketchum had been arrested, the phone had still not been searched due to needed software updates with GrayKey, a forensic search tool, investigators say.

Ketchum was arrested April 21 by the Summit County Sheriff’s Office. Ketchum had his first advisement hearing while in custody on April 22. Bond was set at $5,000. Ketchum posted bond shortly thereafter on April 22, according to court minutes.

Ketchum’s next court date is set for Oct. 6 at 4 p.m. for a preliminary demand hearing.