First Coast Man Arrested on Suspicion of possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material
GREEN COVE SPRINGS,FL – A Northeast Florida man is facing charges related to the possession of child sexual abuse material following a search of his home by the Green Cove springs Police Department. Florida Attorney General james Uthmeier announced the arrest, stating electronic devices seized during the search contained disturbing content involving sexual abuse with young children and animals.
Uthmeier’s office has prioritized prosecuting sexual predators since he was appointed Attorney general by gov. Ron DeSantis following Ashley Moody’s appointment to the U.S. Senate, replacing Marco Rubio who became Secretary of State in President Donald Trump’s management.
This case is part of a broader effort by Uthmeier’s Statewide Prosecutor’s Office to address online exploitation. In May, Uthmeier connected the social media platform Snapchat and the gaming application Roblox to alleged child predators in Southwest Florida. Snapchat has as contested legal action brought by Uthmeier, petitioning a federal judge in June to pause a lawsuit filed against the platform. Snap, Inc., Snapchat’s parent company, asked U.S. District Court Judge Mark Walker to dismiss the case or put it on hold pending the outcome of a challenge to Florida’s social media law.
Uthmeier sued Snap in April, alleging the company knowingly violated a law signed by Gov. Ron DeSantis last year. The law prohibits individuals under 14 from having social media accounts and requires parental permission for 14- and 15-year-olds.
Florida Politics writer Jacob Ogles contributed to this report.