The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) arrested Warner Smith, 34, of Leesburg, on three felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse (CSAM). The arrest is the result of FDLE’s statewide initiative to locate and arrest criminals sharing files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The investigation began in October when agents received a cybertip of someone, later identified as Smith, transmitting and downloading digital files that depicted the sexual exploitation of a child.
On December 12th agents served a search warrant at Smith’s residence and seized his cellphone. During a preliminary forensic analysis, agents found additional child exploitation files depicting the sexual abuse of pre-pubescent children, some as young as 6 years old.
Smith was arrested and booked into the Lake County Jail. The case will be prosecuted by Attorney General Ashley Moody’s Office of Statewide Prosecution.
The case is being investigated by FDLE Orlando Cybercrime unit.
Please visit the FDLE website to review tips for keeping your children safe onlinehttps://www.secureflorida.org/SF/Family-Safety/BPParents.
