A 50-year-old Casmalia man was arrested this week on charges of possessing child pornography and illegal drugs, according to the Santa Maria Police Department.
Ronald Whitmire was taken into custody without incident on Wednesday after detectives served search and arrest warrants at his residence in Casmalia, police said.
Investigators were acting on a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
They believe Whitmire, who recently moved to Casmalia, accessed child pornography while living in the city of Santa Maria, police said.
He was booked into Santa Barbara County Jail on suspicion of possessing child pornography and possessing methamphetamine.
Police issued a reminder that any suspected inappropriate contact with a minor or knowledge of child pornography on the Internet should be immediately reported to local law enforcement agencies or to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children at 800.843.5678.
Reports can also go to www.missingkids.com, and the information will be forwarded to the appropriate law-enforcement agency on a nationwide basis
— Noozhawk executive editor Tom Bolton can be reached at tbolton@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Connect with Noozhawk on Facebook.