A 59-year-old Fort Lauderdale man, arrested for child pornography in 2010, is back behind bars after being charged with the same crime Wednesday.
Prior to his recent arrest, officers with the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force claim they located an Internet address from which child pornography was being shared. They apparently traced the address to the man’s home where they uncovered several discs in a dresser containing more than 30 videos and more than 100 pictures of children engaged in sex acts.
Police allege that the videos depict children, as young as 3, being forced to participate in sex acts with adults.
Investigators said they examined the man’s computer and found that Internet file sharing software designed for sharing child porn had been downloaded in December. A search into the man’s computer history showed that he had recently searched for child pornography files, according to police.
Police claim that the man admitted to downloading the files during an interview.
He is facing charges of 30 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of using a computer to obtain child pornography. He has also been charged with violating the terms of his pre-trial release bond from his 2010 arrest.
In the 2010 arrest, Fort Lauderdale officers arrived at the man’s home after learning that he may have child porn on several computers. He confessed to police that he had downloaded, viewed and saved videos and images of children engaged in sexual activity on his computer and hard drives.
A search of the films found that the pornography in question involved children as young as 8. According to an arrest report, police discovered more than 1,200 images and more than 300 videos of child pornography.
The man apparently gave investigators written permission to seize and examine the computer and hard drives.
He was charged with 100 counts of possession of child pornography and was ordered by a Broward judge to stay off the Internet.
Police and prosecutors in Florida, and throughout the United States, pour countless resources into making sure those that are charged with child pornography are prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. When a sex crime involves innocent children, like possession or distribution of child porn, the charges could be filed in federal court. Federal sex crimes carry much harsher penalties, including lengthy prison terms and mandatory registration as a sex offender. A second conviction for the same or similar offense will result in much more severe consequences.
With your future and freedom on the line, you will need a sex crimes defense attorney on your side that can investigate the facts pertaining to your case and mount an aggressive line of defense to combat the charges. A Florida Child Pornography Defense Lawyer at Whittel & Melton can seek the best possible outcome for your unique situation and make sure your rights remain protected.
If you have been accused of child pornography on the state or federal level, contact us today online or call us at 866-608-5529 for a free consultation. We can begin working on your case right away and make sure you fully understand the charges you are up against.