A former Houston-area member of Bikers Against Child Abuse has been arrested for possessing child pornography. The arrest follows David Wayne Garvey’s indictment by a Chambers County grand jury. Garvey, 50, faces a third-degree felony charge, which carries a 2-10 year prison sentence.

The Office of the Attorney General’s Cyber Crimes Unit’s investigation began with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. That information indicated that an AOL user attempted to e-mail child pornography to another AOL customer on Sept. 16, 2007. The Unit executed a search warrant at Garvey’s residence in Beach City on May 29, 2008. A forensic examination of the computer equipment seized during the search yielded 83 images of child pornography on Garvey’s computer, a CD and in e-mails.

While searching Garvey’s residence, investigators found a Bikers Against Child Abuse vest, which indicated the defendant was a member of the child abuse prevention group. According to the organization’s Web site, BACA works to create safe environments for abused children and prevent further abuse. The Cyber Crimes Unit notified BACA, which then revoked Garvey’s membership.

Attorney General Abbott has earned a national reputation for aggressively arresting and prosecuting child predators. Since 2003, the Cyber Crimes Unit and Fugitive Unit have arrested more than 1,000 predators. Prosecutors also have obtained convictions against more than 90 men on child pornography charges.