Two teenagers arrested for pornography crimes

Two metro-area teenagers were arrested last week for separate pornography-related crimes, police said.

Tyler R. Penrod, 17, of Marion, is accused of disseminating obscene material to a minor after police say he took a pornographic photo of himself with a cell phone and sent it to two juvenile females. He was arrested just before 6 p.m. on March 9 at Vernon Middle School, 1301 Fifth Ave, in Marion.

“The teachers became aware of the photos on the cell phone and contacted us,” Marion police Lt. Scott Elam said.

Officers seized the phone and found the image. Penrod was taken to the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center.

Earlier Tuesday, around 9:38 a.m., officers arrested James W. Johnson III, 16, of Cedar Rapids, for allegedly downloading child pornography. An investigation by the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force led to a computer used by Johnson at a friend's residence in the 200 block of Miller Avenue SW.

Police served a search warrant at the residence on Feb. 25. They determined Johnson had been visiting the friend's house to use the Internet. He had created his own profile on the computer, linking him to the images, Elam said.

Johnson is accused of sexual exploitation of a minor. He was cited and released to his parents