STAFFORD, VA — Federal officers arrested a Stafford man Thursday after an FBI investigation uncovered more than 3,500 images and videos depicting the sexual abuse of children on his cellphone, according to federal court records.
Gaston Emmanuel Rouse III was arrested Thursday on a federal complaint charging him with receipt and attempted receipt of material involving the sexual exploitation of minors. An arrest warrant issued Friday was returned as executed Thursday in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The allegations are contained in an affidavit submitted by an FBI special agent and have not been proven in court. The federal docket did not list an initial court appearance or other post-arrest hearing as of 12:40 p.m. Thursday.
The FBI's Richmond Division received information in March 2025 that a Cash App account attributed to Rouse had purchased access to a collection of child sexual abuse material from a seller using an encrypted messaging application, the affidavit said.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Ivan D. Davis authorized federal agents to search Rouse, his Stafford home and electronic devices in April 2025. The FBI executed those warrants May 1, 2025.
Rouse agreed to an interview during the search and was advised of his rights, according to the affidavit. When agents asked whether he owned the Cash App account used to purchase the material, Rouse replied, "I guess so yeah."
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Rouse also acknowledged purchasing material depicting children but characterized it as a "one-time buy," the FBI agent wrote. He reportedly told investigators that he had viewed videos depicting minors who appeared to be between 16 and 17 years old.
"It was the curiosity that got me," Rouse allegedly said. "It was definitely a mistake."
Agents seized about nine electronic devices, including a Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 2 cellphone taken from Rouse. He later provided investigators with a passcode that unlocked the phone, according to the affidavit.
A forensic examination allegedly found more than 3,500 images and videos depicting minors engaged in sexually explicit conduct. Some appeared to show prepubescent children and abuse described by investigators as sadistic or masochistic, the affidavit said.
Most of the files were stored in several locations within an encrypted "secure folder" on the phone, including folders associated with downloads and the Telegram messaging application, investigators said.
Investigators said several videos were received through Telegram group chats and then sent by Rouse to a separate chat with himself. Metadata indicated that some files were saved between June 2024 and April 2025, according to the affidavit.
The phone also showed that Rouse participated in multiple Telegram groups where child sexual abuse material was allegedly discussed and shared, the FBI said. Investigators found an April 2023 conversation in which Rouse allegedly asked how to access a group and said he sent $15 for admission.
Federal investigators tied Rouse to the phone through email, Snapchat and Uber accounts found on the device, according to court records. Rouse had identified two of the email accounts as his during the interview.
Three other devices seized from Rouse's home — two computers and a tablet — also contained child sexual abuse material, according to the affidavit.
Davis ordered the complaint, affidavit and arrest warrant sealed until Rouse was taken into custody. The records became publicly available after the arrest warrant was executed Thursday.
A criminal complaint is an accusation and does not constitute proof of guilt. Rouse is presumed innocent unless proved guilty.
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