Virginia sex offender staying in Irvine suspected of child porn, sex abuse in O.C.

A convicted sex offender was arrested Friday on suspicion of child pornography and sexual abuse, two days after investigators searched an Irvine hotel room where he was staying.

Authorities allege that Christopher Brown, 42, used his jobs as a photographer and children’s tumbling instructor to lure teenage girls into sexual acts or inappropriate photos.

Orange County sheriff’s officials said they’re looking for more possible victims, noting that Brown worked throughout Orange County.

Brown moved to California sometime after 2005, when he was convicted of possession of child pornography in Virginia, according to the Sheriff’s Department.

Members of the Orange County Child Exploitation Task Force arrested Brown in a shopping center parking lot in Newport Beach on suspicion of possession and manufacturing of child pornography, digital penetration and oral copulation with a child and failure to register as a sex offender in California.

Sheriff’s officials said they began investigating Brown after getting a tip from Los Angeles County law enforcement on Sept. 16. They declined to elaborate on the tip.

Deputies confiscated Brown’s phone and a GoPro camera when they arrested him, according to authorities.

Two days earlier, investigators raided Brown’s hotel room in Irvine and seized a computer and an external hard drive, sheriff’s Lt. Jeff Hallock said.

Hallock said investigators earlier tried to search Brown’s home in Orange, but he had moved out.

Authorities said they have collected “numerous” illicit videos and photos during the investigation.

Brown is being held in Orange County Jail with bail set at $500,000 and is scheduled to appear in court Tuesday.