Sturgis man found guilty of possession of child sexually abusive material

ST. JOSEPH COUNTY, Mich. – A Sturgis man was found guilty for possession of child sexually abusive material following a two-day trial, the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's Office announced.

A jury found 24-year-old Adalberto (Jacob) Garcia guilty of using the internet to commit a crime and two counts of aggravated possession of child sexually abusive material.

In April 2021, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children got a tip from SnapChat concerning the screen name “officialalpha-j”.

The screen name was tracked to a residence in the 100 block of Susan Street in Sturgis.

Police executed search warrants for SnapChat and Charter Communications before contacting Garcia and performing a search warrant of his home.

Garcia’s sentencing is scheduled for July 22.

He faces a maximum of over 20 years in prison because he is a habitual second offender.

Garcia was previously convicted of criminal sexual conduct in the 4th degree and was on felony probation at the time of the incident, reports said.