Rancho Mirage man faces child pornography charges

A Rancho Mirage man is in custody after a local business claimed to find child pornography in his phone.

Cathedral City Police Officers arrested Vicente Celio, 52, on September 19 after an employee at a local business said they found child pornography on Celio’s phone.

The investigating officers viewed the suspected images and determined they were child pornography.

Celio was located and detained as officers were conducting the preliminary investigation. He was later transported to the Cathedral City Police Department for further investigation.

Celio admitted to ownership of the phone and being aware of the images. He was placed under arrest for possession of child pornography and later transported to Riverside County Jail in Indio for Housing.

Celio was charged with nine felony counts related to the sale and possession of child
pornography. He pleaded not guilty to all charges at his arraignment Friday and is due back in court Oct. 3 for a felony settlement conference.