POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A U.S. Marine veteran, a Navy veteran, an unlicensed daycare owner and a Florida correctional officer are among 18 people arrested as part of a month-long child porn investigation, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said.
Two of the men are also facing charges related to the sexual abuse of three children. Two women also are accused of helping facilitate the children's abuse.
A total of 2,777 charges were filed as part of "Operation Guardians of the Innocence VII," the agency said.
The Marine veteran, Harrison Egbert, accounts for 1,000 of those charges.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd says 32-year-old Egbert was a "hoarder" of child pornography and told detectives he had looked at "thousands" of child porn files.
Judd says he confessed to sexually abusing three young girls, ages 5, 7 and 8 years old, adding that he had taken photos and video of the abuse with the help of a friend.
That friend, 30-year-old David Lavin Jr., reportedly confessed to taking the videos and photos of the little girls. Additionally, detectives say he took one of the girls to Egbert's home multiple times to be abused.
Judd said Ivonnette Leon interfered with the investigation. She faces multiple charges, including tampering with a victim, accessory after the fact and contributing to the dependency of a minor.
Also arrested for interfering with the investigation was Shannon Speller. Judd says she runs an unlicensed daycare called Kids Clubhouse Learning Center in Winter Haven. One of the children abused by Egbert went to the daycare, according to Judd.
Judd says the sheriff's office doesn't have any evidence any of the other children at the unlicensed daycare were abused.
Speller is charged with accessory after the fact.
Egbert faces 1,000 charges of enhanced possession of child pornography, one count of promotion of child pornography, one count of possession to promote child pornography, five counts of capital sexual battery, five counts of use of a child in a sexual performance and five counts of lewd molestation.
Lavin is charged with capital sexual battery, two counts of use of child in sexual performance, promoting sexual performance by a child, and lewd exhibition.
The sheriff's office says 14 other people face child porn charges, including four teenagers.
Patrick Johanson, a Polk County correctional officer, faces 26 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography and one count of promotion of child pornography. Judd called the 33-year-old a "nasty man" and said Johanson told detectives he'd been viewing child porn for over 10 years and "knew they would find him one day."
Richard Sizelove, a Navy veteran who told detectives he served in the Vietnam war, faces 28 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography. The sheriff's office says he told detectives he'd been viewing child porn for about 20 years. He is 68.
"These children will be victimized for the rest of their lives," Judd said, saying that videos of the children's sex abuse will live on the internet forever.
Other people charged during the operation include:
- David Boyd, 52. He is charged with 516 counts of enhanced child pornography and one count of promotion of child pornography.
- Jonathan Derisse, 20. The sheriff's office says he told detectives that while he was currently unemployed, he worked a summer job at Sea World. He is charged with six counts of possession of child pornography and three counts of promotion of child pornography.
- Jesse Durant, 29. He is charged with 45 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography.
- A 17-year-old from Lakeland who detectives say is currently on probation for written threats to kill or do bodily harm. He is charged with two counts of promotion of child pornography and violation of probation.
- Tyerek Lampkin, 22. The agency says he is charged with 197 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography and 12 counts of promotion of child pornography.
- Ludjy Masson-Santana, 21. He is charged with 148 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography and 12 counts of promotion of child pornography.
- A 16-year-old from Lakeland. He is charged with 50 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography and two counts of child pornography.
- Nicholas Nason, 27. He is charged with 14 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography.
- A 15-year-old from Winter Haven. He is charged with one count of promotion of child pornography and two counts of possession of child pornography.
- Keven Schmidt, 54. He is charged with 32 counts of promotion of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography.
- A 15-year-old student at Mulberry High School. He is charged with four counts of possession of child pornography and one count of promotion of child pornography.
"One of the vilest crimes is the sexual abuse of children. Those arrested in
this operation not only create a market for the sexual abuse and rape of
babies and children worldwide, every time these images and videos are uploaded and shared, these innocent children are victimized over and over again," Judd said in a statement.
"As you know, this is only the beginning - once we serve search warrants and seize these suspects' devices, forensic analysis will be conducted, and we will, in all likelihood, be adding more child pornography charges. This is also an
example of why it is so important for parents and guardians to ensure parental
controls are enabled on all of your child's devices," he continued.