Saffran
A Franklin man has been arrested and charged with possessing photos of sex crimes involving children.
Mark Wayne Saffran was arrested following an investigation conducted by the Macon County Sheriff’s Office and the State Bureau of Investigation. The sheriff’s special victims unit reportedly got a tip about Saffran from the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
During a search of Saffran’s residence at Pines RV Campground, detectives seized electronic equipment allegedly containing sexually explicit photos of children.
“These individuals trade these images on the internet,” said sheriff Robert Holland. “They get them off of websites and from each other and trade them.”
In the photos, “crimes were being committed against young children on up,” he said. He said the photos depict sex acts being performed.
“We are in the process of going through images and trying to identify children who have obviously been victims of sexual abuse and other crimes against children,” he said.
So far, none of the children shown in the photos are known to be from Macon County.
“We have not identified any Macon County children,” Holland said. “Our officers have been driving to other counties to meet with law enforcement trying to identify individual children.”
Saffran, 59, was charged with third-degree exploitation of a minor, a felony. He was booked into the Macon County Detention Center under a $100,000 bond.
Saffran previously lived in Indiana but has been living in Franklin at the campground. The owners of Pines RV Park have been fully cooperative and have provided assistance throughout the course of the investigation, Holland said.
“It’s a shame this has brought attention to that business,” he said.
Anyone who has any information about Saffran or knows of children who may have been associated with him is asked to call Sgt. Danni Burrows of the sheriff’s SVU unit at 828-349-2268 or the CrimeStoppers hot line at 828-349-2600.