Dine & Dash Leads To Arrest For Child Pornography

BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. (CBS4) - A man in Boulder who dined and dashed out of a restaurant to avoid the bill has been arrested for sexual exploitation of a child.

The former manager at the Boulder restaurant said a customer skipped out on a $37 bill. But the customer left his cellphone on a table, and when staff turned the phone on to try and see who it belonged, they stumbled into a more serious crime.

According to the police report, investigators found 267 images of child pornography on 42-year-old Bryan Elrod's cell phone. Police say the children in the photos ranged from toddlers up through early puberty.

A forensic search turned up an internet history of graphic websites. According to the affidavit, Elrod was arrested on 13 counts of sexual exploitation of a child.

"The mere possession of this kind of a photograph is itself a felony if somebody's convicted," said Boulder County District Attorney Stan Garnett.

Elrod has a lengthy criminal history, and his parole officer helped police track him down to the motel where he was staying. Had he not left behind his phone at a restaurant, he may never have been caught.

Garnett expects to formally charge Elrod in a hearing on Tuesday, and says the possession of child pornography is a serious crime.

"It also can be indicative of some significant sexual dysfunction and danger of a person possibly acting out in other ways," Garnett said.

A Boulder County judge set Elrod's bond Friday afternoon at $25,000.

If and when he does bond out, he is not allowed to have contact with anyone under the age of 18.