MESA, AZ — A man is arrested after reportedly showing pornography to children in the toy department of two Mesa stores.
Mesa police report that on June 23 they responded to the 99-Cent Store near Country Club Drive and Southern Avenue after a mother said a man showed porn to her children.
Police say the victims, both under 12-years-old, were in the toy section of the store when Joel Leal Acedo, 43, showed them a pornography video from his cell phone. The children allegedly told police that the man and woman in the video were naked and doing "nasty stuff."
The victim's mother confronted Acedo, who left the store. She managed to get a partial license plate number to his vehicle. Police were able to use this information to identify Acedo as the suspect.
On July 12, Acedo was allegedly following children while holding a cell phone in the toy section of a Wal-Mart near Dobson Road and Rio Salado Parkway. Wal-Mart security was able to zoom in on his phone and reportedly read the words "porn hub" on the cell phone screen.
Police say the pre-teen victim who Acedo was following told them she saw a naked woman on his phone.
Acedo was located and arrested on July 19 at his home near Country Club Drive and McKellips Road.
He has been charged with furnishing obscene materials to minors.
