Big Brothers Big Sisters member arrested on child porn accusations

A member of the Big Brother Big Sisters organization in Texas was arrested on Wednesday at work after the Abilene Police Department received a tipoff about child pornography, according to law enforcement.

Joel Michael Paris, 39, has been charged with the promotion of child pornography and, as of Wednesday, was being held without bond in the Taylor County Jail, according to the Abilene Reporter News.

The promotion of child sexual abuse material is a second degree felony, meaning if convicted, Paris would face between two to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.

The Abilene police worked alongside the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations on the arrest, according to police.

According to the the Abilene Reporter, Paris's LinkedIn lists him as a director of volunteer recruitment at Big Brothers Big Sisters Lone Star, which primarily serves west central Texas, Wichita County, Dallas, Tarrant County, and Houston.

Law enforcement began investigating the man after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about a video — uploaded to community chat site Discord — that reportedly showed girls between the ages of 12 to 14 engaging in sexual conduct.

It is unclear how the Abilene police connected the video to Paris, but they did obtain and execute a search warrant for the man's house.

Big Brothers Big Sisters issued a statement following Paris' arrest saying he was no longer with the nonprofit, according to Big Country News.

“We have been informed of the serious allegations against Mr Joel Paris. Mr Paris is no longer with our organization. Big Brothers Big Sisters Abilene is committed to the safety of our children first and foremost and has cooperated fully with the authorities regarding this matter," the organization said.

The group further stated that all of its members, whether on staff or volunteer, are thoroughly screened.

"It is the policy of BBBSA that every staff member, Board Member or volunteer be thoroughly screened through a series of professional checks and interviews prior to his or her employment or acceptance as a 'Big' or volunteer Mentor," according to the statement. "Nothing is more important to us than the safety and well-being of our youth and this commitment to safety is one which we take most seriously.”

Detectives are still investigating the incident and the Abilene Police Department is encouraging anyone who may have knowledge about Paris to contact them directly.

"The Abilene Police Department encourages anyone with information related to this case or who may have had any questionable contact with Joel Michael Paris to contact the Cyber Crimes Unit at 325-676-6610," the police said in a news release.