Florida investigation ends far north in child porn arrest

On Behalf of | Feb 9, 2017 | Sex Crimes

The FBI says its investigation began about 300 miles north of Fort Myers in Jacksonville, Florida. The inquiry then migrated north another 900 miles to Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

That is where a 64-year-old man was recently arrested on child pornography charges after law enforcement officials said they found sexually explicit photos on the former teacher’s phone.

FBI officials said that after his home was searched, the man admitted to agents that he has had “hundreds” of conversations with minors a news report described as “sexually-charged.” He also reportedly told officials that he has asked for and received sexually explicit photos from minors.

The investigation apparently began last month in Florida, when a Jacksonville father of a 12-year-old told the FBI that his daughter was being exploited online by a man claiming to be 18 years old and living in Pennsylvania.

The father had apparently found on his daughter’s phone sexually explicit messages in an exchange in an application that masks users’ identities.

Screenshots of the messages and results of a forensic analysis of the girl’s cell phone were sent to FBI officials in Pennsylvania. Those officials served a federal subpoena to the app operators, who identified the user’s email address.

The FBI then traced the IP address to the former teacher’s employer in Allentown, and from there their investigation led them to his Bethlehem residence.

During the FBI raid on his home, the suspect reportedly admitted to using a website and the app to contact minors and solicit explicit photos.

Anyone being questioned or arrested by law enforcement officials do well to remember that they can decline to answer questions until they have spoken with a criminal defense attorney experienced in defending rights and freedom.

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