Man Arrested for Child Porn After Detectives Use Flat Tire Ploy

A Florida man has been arrested for multiple felony counts of child pornography after detectives used a clever scheme to get him to come out of his home. The 43-year-old man, from Lake Placid, has been charged with 555 counts of attempted child porn possession with intent to distribute. He is currently in jail on a $2.83 million bond.

The man was already a convicted felon after facing gun and domestic violence charges. He is now facing more changes after he was found in possession of hundreds of disturbing images of children as young as 11 years old. Detectives from the Highlands County Sheriff’s office found more than a thousand child pornography images on his computer. However, detectives had to charge him in batches of 100 images because each individual charge would exceed the 999 charge limit of the court system.

Detectives arrested the man on March 28 using a unique ploy. They staged a car with a flat tire to draw the man from his home. This was so they could arrest him without incident.

This is an unusual way to arrest someone, so here’s a look at how the arrest went down in detail. A person who lives with the man went to the sheriff’s office to report seeing child porn images on the man’s computer. The witness showed photos of filenames found on the man’s computer. The witness also noted that the man was a convicted felon and had a firearm in a nightstand.

Detectives investigated and confirmed that the filenames were consistent with names often used by those involved in child porn. They obtained a search warrant for the man’s house, with a focus on finding and searching electronic devices, firearms, and ammunition.

To get the man out of the house, law enforcement officials staged the flat tire incident and texted the man a photo of the flat tire. Detectives waited down the street from the disabled car. When the man passed by them, a SWAT team jumped out and arrested him. They found guns in the residence.

The detectives discovered that the man tried to delete suspicious files from his computer. Investigators with computer analytics skills were able to view the files. Detectives went to the jail a few days after the arrest to charge him with the child porn crimes.

Detectives charged the man with multiple felonies, including:

• Failing to register as a convicted felon.
• Being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
• Concealing his firearm and ammunition.
• Being in possession of ammunition.
• Destroying evidence of child porn on his computer.
• Evidence tampering.

A child pornography investigation against the man is still underway.

Contact a Legal Professional for Help

Florida investigators are strict on child porn crimes. They will often go to great lengths to arrest someone, as seen in this case.

Protect yourself and your future with help from a Florida child pornography lawyer from the Law Offices of Gilbert A. Schaffnit. We can help formulate a defense to get you a favorable outcome. Schedule a consultation by calling (352) 505-1799 or filling out the online form.

Source:

midfloridanewspapers.com/highlands_news-sun/flat-tire-ploy-results-in-child-porn-charges/article_1290ebfc-e3bc-42ae-ad85-fcd95642427a.html