PALMETTO, Fla. — Deputies arrested a 44-year-old man accused of sexually battering a young girl as she attended a friend's birthday party over the weekend.
And beyond this alleged case, there's concern other children may have been exposed to Christopher Thompson's purported actions in the past, according to the Manatee County Sheriff's Office. He faces charges of capital sexual battery, exposing minors to harmful images, and production and possession of child porn.
The sheriff's office in a news release says its deputies were notified by the parents of a 5-year-old girl on Sunday. They reportedly learned Thompson, who was attending the party, lured the girl to his house across the street and battered her.
Deputies say the girl was forced to watch pornographic material involving children and an adult male. Thompson told the girl not to say anything, and then they went back to the party, the agency said.
As investigators were at the home, while acting on a search warrant, other parents came up and talked about how they were concerned for their own children.
It's believed Thompson committed such acts on multiple young girls, the sheriff's office said. Amid their search, law enforcement removed "a significant amount of electronics" and, on some of them, child porn was discovered.
Thompson was arrested while at work and later charged with child porn and several similar offenses.
Anyone who may have information about incidents involving Thompson is asked to call the Manatee County Sheriff's Office at 941-747-3011.