BRANDON, Fla. — Detectives arrested a Brandon man they say had hundreds of images and videos of child porn on his electronic devices, a Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office news release explains.
On March 16, detectives received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that someone at a house in Brandon was uploading child pornography.
Once investigators were on scene of the home and knocked on the door, they made contact with 21-year-old John Priester. He reportedly consented to a search of his phone and two other electronic devices.
Over the course of the investigation, the agency says hundreds of images and videos were found.
Fast forward to March 26, an arrest warrant was obtained for Priester. He was arrested the next day.
“We are grateful to our national and local partners who join us in the fight against the victimization of our children,” Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Thanks to the hard work of our detectives, they were able to locate this predator and get him out of our community.”
The 21-year-old is facing charges of filming, distributing or possessing image or video of sexual activity with an animal, unlawful use of a two way communications device, 100 counts of possession of child porn and state transmission of child pornography by electronic device.
Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office at 813-247-8200.