Crime & Safety
Child Porn Images Of Children Being Sexually Abused Found On Suspects' Phones: Sheriff
Four suspects in Bartow and Lakeland accused of owning sexual images of children have been arrested. A fifth suspect is in China.
POLK COUNTY, FL — Five Polk County men have been accused by deputies of having child pornography photos and videos, a Polk County Sheriff's Office (PCSO) news release said.
Deputies arrested four out of five of the suspects at their homes Wednesday after receiving a tip from National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) that accused the men of searching, sending and downloading child porn images.
Child pornography charges have been filed by PCSO against the suspects, according to deputies.
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Following the tips from NCMEC, detectives served search warrants at the five suspects' houses and took all of their digital devices for investigation. Hundreds of child porn images were found on their devices, deputies said.
Detectives have a warrant for the fifth suspect, 39-year-old, Jianchai Chen of Winter Haven, also accused of possessing child pornography and videos. Chen is currently in China with his wife and children. Chen lives part time in the U.S., and works at Lucky Wok in Lake Wales.
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Deputies said the children seen in the images were not Polk County children.
The four suspects arrested on child porn felony charges are listed below, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office:
- Kevin Hairston, 29, Lakeland
- Felipe Ortiz, 19, Bartow
- Deamontavese Sanders, 21, Lakeland
- Juan Valdez, 18, Haines City
For more details about charges and photos, visit the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
“We are thankful for our partnership with NCMEC," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "By combining our resources, we are able to take criminals who prey on our children off the street. Please, if you see something while you are online or on mobile apps, say something. Contact your local law enforcement agency or go to NCMEC’s CyberTipline at https://report.cybertip.org/ to report suspicious online activity.”
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