Massive Child Porn Bust Leads To 29 Arrests

Massive Child Porn Bust Leads To 29 Arrests
Posted: 11:45 am EDT April 22, 2010
Updated: 9:46 pm EDT April 22, 2010

POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- A massive child pornography bust in Polk County led to 29 arrests. Thursday morning, 28 people were arrested and the 29th suspect, Tim Lakin, turned himself in Thursday afternoon. The group is facing charges for possession and distribution of child pornography.

The 29 arrests Thursday come after 21 others were arrested from July 2009 through March 2010. During those arrests, five of the suspects were additionally charged with sex crimes against children.

WFTV was there when several suspects were escorted to law enforcement vehicles Thursday and, while some denied the accusations, other apologized for their actions.

“Are you addicted to child porn?” WFTV reporter Melonie Holt asked one suspect.

“What I did was very wrong,” he replied.

“I got caught with something I wasn't supposed to have,” another suspect told Holt.

Some of the accused were vocal about their arrest.

“Sean, do you have anything to say for yourself? reporter Melonie Holt asked.

"Yeah, f*** the Polk County Sheriff's Department!" the suspect replied.

WFTV found out some of the children they were looking at live in Central Florida. At least two of the people arrested in the massive child porn sweep were actually generating the images using local children.

Investigators told WFTV they have identified at least a half-dozen local victims. Thursday, Sheriff Grady Judd said computer crimes detectives made it a priority to try to identify the young victims in the images.

Detectives were also watching to see if any of the suspects had access to young children and, as a result, the sheriff said eight children were rescued from a life of abuse.

more:
http://www.wftv.com/news/23232118/detail.html#

In my opinion searching and viewing child pornography is a sex crime against children. It goes on right under our noses. Who knows when you see a child in public what could be very wrong at home. I'm glad these detectives were able to identify these children.