Warnings from law enforcement after viral child sex abuse video

SOUTH BEND, Ind. -- A video of child pornography is going viral in Michiana.

We first reported about the viral video, on Friday, after it was shared with our station. 

ABC57 News is continuing to work for our viewers, and sat down with South Bend Police about this disturbing video and message.

"There's a video that's going around Facebook, which shows a young child being abused by an adult," explains Ken Garcia, spokesperson for the South Bend Police Department. "It's a video that's been sent through Facebook Messenger. People are sending it through social media."

It's a disturbing display of child pornography hitting social media.

Facebook messages, sharing the video, has been reported in Indiana, Alabama, and even as far away as France. 

"It's across many states. It is Facebook after all. It doesn't have any boundaries, so it is something that is popping up on people's accounts," says Garcia. 

South Bend Police has received calls from concerned citizens, regarding the spread of the video.

"It's an upsetting video and knowing a child is being abused. People just want to make sure people were aware of the video and that it's shared on social media," he explains. "They're just upset and definitely sickened by what they're seeing."

But what do you do if you get that video?

Delete, report to Facebook, and do not share, says Garcia. 

"I can't stress deleting it enough, because if it's on your computer and you hold onto it, you could potentially get in trouble for possesing that video," he adds. "Don't forward it either, because at that point, you're now distributing innapropriate video."

And while social media sites can be a source to spread these types of viles videos, law enforcement hopes these sites, can also be a means to an end. 

"Hopefully it will lead to the arrest [of the person involved] because they're a dangerous person," says Garcia. "They are someone who abuses children and you want to get them arrested."

ABC57 News was informed that Facebook is aware of the video and are actively working to take the video down.

Garcia says that the St. Joseph County Cyber Crimes Unit is also investigating.