A Hilmar man was arrested on child pornography charges following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which received information from Twitter about inappropriate photo uploads.

Vasco Daniel Gomes, 19, of Hilmar, was arrested Wednesday by the Merced County Sheriff's Department for possession and distribution of child pornography.

The arrest came after the Sheriff's department received information about Gomes from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, which was notified by Twitter, Inc. about photo uploads to the social media site depicting under age children committing lewd acts.

A search warrant was issued within 24 hours of the Center for Missing and Exploited Children receiving the report of child pornography photos on Twitter. Investigators found over 1,000 digital searches of various illicit child pornography terms. During an interview with investigators, Gomes admitted uploading the child pornography.

“The rapid conclusion of this investigation is proof that when entities collaborate, cases get solved,” said Detective Justin Ussery, a 16-year veteran of the Sheriff’s office.

Ussery currently serves as the agency's  High Tech Crimes Detective. Ussery stressed the importance of monitoring online activity.

“Parents need to be mindful and vigilant to their children’s online activity with both computers and cell phone mobile devices,” he said.

Gomes was booked into Merced County Jail and is being held on a $500,000 bail.