ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. – The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a St. Petersburg woman on more than 40 felony charges, including four counts of Capital Sexual Battery, following an investigation into child pornography and abuse.
The arrest was announced by Sheriff Bob Gualtieri during a press conference held on Tuesday.
To protect the victim, an 11-year-old girl, the identities of both the suspect and the victim are not being released by authorities.
Investigation Uncovers Horrific Abuse
Detectives with the Crimes Against Children Unit (CAC) initiated their investigation after identifying a 38-year-old male subject suspected of possessing child pornography and meeting with young children. Through various investigative techniques, detectives discovered the source of the illicit material: a 34-year-old St. Petersburg woman.
The investigation uncovered a horrifying pattern of abuse. Detectives allege that the woman had been forcing her 11-year-old daughter to perform sexual acts on herself, a family dog, and the 38-year-old male subject. The woman allegedly recorded and photographed these incidents, sharing the material with the male subject.
The suspect was arrested and transported to the Pinellas County Jail, facing a lengthy list of charges:
- 4 counts of Capital Sexual Battery
- 13 counts of Transmission of Child Pornography
- 13 counts of Sexual Performance by a Child
- 4 counts of Aggravated Child Abuse
- 3 counts of Lewd or Lascivious Molestation
- 3 counts of Sexual Activities Involving Animals
- 1 count of Unlawful Use of a Two-Way Communication Device
During the press conference, Sheriff Gualtieri used the arrest to highlight the pervasive issue of child exploitation in the region.
“Just to show you the magnitude of the problem, since January of this year, just here in Pinellas County alone, we have booked 84 different people into the Pinellas County Jail on child pornography charges,” Sheriff Gualtieri stated. “That’s involving about 900 charges of possessing or distributing child pornography.”
He underscored the severe nature of the content being circulated. “Think about that, that’s 900 different videos of kids mostly in the 5- to 12-year-old range engaged in perverse sex acts for the pleasure of adults who seek, obtain and watch these videos.”
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