A Lutz man has been arrested after Hillsborough County sheriff's office officials say detectives discovered more than 1,000 files containing child sexual abuse material (CSAM) of children as young as 5 years old on an electronic device.
Charles Price, 61, faces charges of solicitation or possession of child sexual abuse material, unlawful use of a two way communications device, and obstruction of service or execution of search warrant, according to a Monday announcement from the sheriff's office.
“This case is a reminder that predators who seek to exploit children will be arrested,” Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister said in a statement. “Our detectives will continue to pursue anyone who victimizes children, and we will do everything in our power to protect the most vulnerable members of our community.”
The investigation began July 27 after a tip to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, a sheriff's office release said. Detectives with HCSO's Internet Predators Unit and SWAT team served a search warrant Sept. 14 at Price's home, where they found an electronic device with more than 1,000 CSAM files with victims between the ages of 5 and 12.
"Investigators also identified online activity associated with the device involving the transmission and trading of CSAM," officials said in the release.
The investigation is ongoing, sheriff's office officials said.
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