The Northern Nevada Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force has arrested a suspect following a months-long investigation into the possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM).
On December 3, 2025, the ICAC Task Force assisted the Federal Bureau of Investigation in serving a residential search warrant in north Reno in connection with a federal CSAM investigation. During the operation, investigators contacted and interviewed the primary suspect, 19-year-old Reno resident Giovanni Martinelli.
Electronic Storage Detection (ESD) K9 Bandit was deployed and assisted in locating digital storage devices that could contain child sexual abuse materials.
CSAM was discovered on digital items belonging to the suspect. During the interview, Martinelli also admitted to creating CSAM involving multiple juveniles approximately 12 years of age and to sextorting other victims into providing CSAM content.
As a result of the investigation, ICAC Task Force members arrested Martinelli. He was transported to the Washoe County Detention Facility and booked on a felony charge of Possession of Visual Presentation Depicting Sexual Conduct of a Person Under 16 Years of Age.
Local authorities are working to identify, locate, and interview additional possible victims connected to this case. Anyone with information is encouraged to contact their local law enforcement agency. The federal investigation into the possession and distribution of CSAM remains ongoing.
The Washoe County Sheriff’s Office spearheads the region’s fight against child exploitation by dedicating full-time resources to the ICAC task force. These cybercrime investigators collaborate closely with the Sparks Police Department, FBI, Nevada Attorney General’s Office, Department of Homeland Security Investigations, and Carson City Sheriff’s Office to locate and apprehend offenders responsible for exploiting children. Task force members, deputized as Special Deputy United States Marshals, extend jurisdictional reach through participation in the FBI’s Child Exploitation Task Force. K9 Bandit was donated to the Sparks Police Department by OUR Rescue as part of their mission to end child exploitation and human trafficking.
