PENSACOLA, FL (ESCAMBIA COUNTY) - A news report posted on WEARTV.com reports that an Escambia County man has been arrested and is facing felony child porn criminal charges after the suspect's email and IP address were connected to uploaded child pornographic videos and images. According to an arrest report, the 42-year-old man was charged with 21 counts using a two-way communication device to commit a felony and 21 counts of obscene material possession.
The suspect's arrest report states that the criminal investigation started on February 22, 2021, when the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) identified one user on a "chat platform uploading child sexual abuse videos."
According to the suspect's arrest report, Escambia County Sherrif's deputies discovered 21 videos that were traced back to the suspect's home IP address, and videos were uploaded between February 11, 2021, through February 14, 2021.
According to the news report, the children in the images and videos appeared to be between the ages of one and 12. The videos and images showed the children engaging in different sexual acts.
The suspect was arrested on Tuesday, March 2, 2021. As law enforcement investigators were on their way to the suspect's home, the suspect was observed being picked up by an unnamed male. Police stopped the car, and the suspect was taken into custody and transported to the Pensacola Police Department. A search warrant was then executed at the suspect's home.
The defendant is currently being held at the Escambia County Jail, where he is being held on a $210,000 bond.