Polk County Youth Counselor Faces 165 More Child Porn Charges

A Bartow man charged in December with 15 counts of child pornography possession now faces an additional 165 charges.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office added the nearly 14 dozen charges Wednesday against the 28-year-old man.

The man has been in the Polk County Jail since his December 21 arrest. At the time, the man’s computer was seized. Deputies said a forensic examination allegedly turned up 165 files that depicted children, including infants and toddlers, engaged in sexual conduct.

The man was formerly employed as a youth counselor and helped school guidance counselors and parent/guardians with truant children.

The investigation began in December, when the Sheriff’s Office got a tip. Tumblr provided 48 files of images and/or videos to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and deemed the files as child pornography.

While the possession of pornographic images may seem like a minor offense, this crime must be taken seriously and defended aggressively. With undercover computer sting operations and overzealous prosecutors, there is currently a nationwide witch hunt to uncover alleged sexual predators. Employers, co-workers and even computer repair shops often have the ability and right to view files on your computer, and the authorities are eager to prosecute these offenses to the fullest extent of the law.

What makes child porn charges even more serious is that every image in possession can be an additional charge, as this case shows. The more material you are charged with possessing, the more charges you face. These can add up quickly. You need a Florida Child Pornography Defense Attorney at Whittel & Melton on your side to help you establish a strong defense strategy. It is vital to the outcome of your case to be aggressive in your defense. Our goal is to protect your rights and make sure we do everything we can to achieve an outcome that you can live with.

For a free consultation, call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online. We are available 24/7 to help you.