14 Suspects Charged With 541 Child Pornography Charges in Manatee County

Another child pornography sting has yielded a high number of arrests and charges in Manatee County. The undercover child porn sting called “Operation One Way Ticket,” resulted in the arrest of 14 individuals all facing various charges, 541 in total.

The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crime Against Children taskforce said they executed 26 search warrants and served more than 200 subpoenas so that they could search 100 devices to uncover 17,000 suspected images of alleged child pornography.

Police claim that they discovered that one man arrested solicited an undercover federal agent who was pretending to be a minor after a search warrant was conducted at his home. He was arrested for the local charges in addition to federal charges that are pending.

SWAT also assisted in a few of the arrests.

Another man who was notified of a search warrant of his home fled the area, according to the MCSO. The MCSO worked in conjunction with the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and Ft Myers PD to help find the man who was eventually caught in a traffic stop and taken into police custody on 50 felony warrants.

If you or someone you love has been charged with any type of child pornography crime in Florida, you should never try to handle these charges on your own. The State takes these charges very seriously and will do everything they can to succeed in a conviction. A conviction for a child porn-related crime carried devastating consequences that could follow you around for the rest of your life, but our Florida Child Porography Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help. We strongly encourage you to reach out to us regardless of the charges you are facing and your innocence, so that we can guide you through the best course of action pertaining to your defense.

Child pornography cases are on the rise. According to the Investigative Post, federal prosecutors filed 58 cases related to child porn charges in 2019, which is up from the 38 annual average cases in previous years. An uptick in federal and state cases means more time and effort put into Internet undercover child porn stings, which means that if you are in the wrong place at the wrong time you could easily find yourself on the wrong side of the law. Even a wrongful child porngraphy arrest can have a negative impact on your life such as employment and higher education opportunities.

Some of the most common child porn charges in Florida are possession of child pornography, distribution of child pornography, transmission of child pornogrpahy, production or sales of child pornography, promotion of child pornography, and creating child pornography. State child pornography charges are serious and there are various factors that will play a part on your case, including how many images were found, what those images depict, whether or not you have a prior criminal record, etc. Whether or not you obtained child porn knowingly or unknowingly, we can assist with all the details of your case and formulate the best possible defense strategy for your unique situation.

Federal child pornography charges deal with possession, creation or trafficking of child porn. The federal government investigates these crimes and uses its far-reaching powers and limitless resources to investigate and prosecute these criminal matters. A conviction for a federal child porn crime will result in a federal prison sentence of some kind, depending on the facts of the case. If you are facing federal child porn charges, our Federal Child Porn Criminal Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help you mount the best possible defense in order to safeguard your freedom and future.

Facing child porn charges, state or federal, can mean the loss of your freedom. It is possible to obtain a favorable judgement, reduced charges, or even a dismissal of charges. Our Florida State and Federal Child Pornography Defense Lawyers at Whittel & Melton can help with your case so that we can provide some relief during this stressful and anxious time. Call us today at 866-608-5529 or contact us online 24/7 to request a free case review. We will discuss your case with you and make sure all of your questions are answered.