COLDSPRING — The San Jacinto County Sheriff’s Office has filed first-degree felony charge of possession of child pornography against Joseph David Yaws, a resident of Cleveland, following an investigation led by the Sheriff’s Office Criminal Investigations Division.
Officials say the investigation began in October 2024 and focused on Yaws’ involvement with explicit material depicting young children in abusive and exploitative situations, and he was arrested on a charge of online solicitation of a minor, a third-degree felony.
Yaws was incarcerated in the San Jacinto County Jail when the new charges were filed.
On April 7, CID detectives served Yaws with an arrest warrant related to the child pornography investigation. Detectives then executed a search warrant, recovering substantial digital evidence containing numerous illegal and disturbing files.
Sheriff Sam Houston commended the efforts of the CID team, saying, “This is a deeply disturbing case, but it reflects the unwavering commitment of our CID detectives to protect children and pursue justice for victims. Predators like this have no place in our community, and we will continue to seek them out and hold them accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
Yaws remains in custody at the San Jacinto County Jail, where he awaits further legal proceedings.
