SAN ANTONIO — A San Antonio man is accused of possessing more than 3,200 images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children following a months-long investigation that began with reports submitted to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
According to the arrest report, Jared Austin Hegwer, 40, was arrested Tuesday after investigators linked multiple online accounts to him through a series of CyberTipline reports. He’s been charged with possession of child pornography.
The investigation began after Homeland Security Investigations received reports that an online service provider had detected files believed to contain child sexual abuse material. Additional reports later identified even more files that had allegedly been uploaded between August and November 2025.
Investigators traced the activity to an internet account registered at Hegwer’s father’s home, where records indicated Hegwer was living.
As part of the investigation, authorities obtained records for a Kik messaging account they say belonged to Hegwer. Investigators said the account contained photos Hegwer had taken of himself, along with images believed to show the sexual abuse of children. Those photos were later used to identify him during surveillance outside the home, according to to the arrest report.
Investigators then obtained a search warrant for the residence and seized Hegwer’s cellphone.
According to the arrest report, investigators found more than 2,300 images and videos showing the sexual abuse of children on the device. Combined with material recovered from the Kik account, investigators said they identified more than 3,200 images and videos in total.