SEMINOLE, Fla. — A Seminole man has been arrested on 20 counts of possession of child pornography and five counts of sexual activity involving animals.
Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office detectives say their investigation began May 12 after a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicated the suspect was communicating on the messaging app Kik and disclosed sexually abusing his 7-year-old son. Detectives identified the suspect as 51-year-old John David Ballard.
A search warrant of Ballard’s phone uncovered dozens of child pornography videos depicting victims from infancy to 11 years old, along with five videos showing sexual acts between people and animals.
Investigators learned that Ballard and his husband, Bradley Borsuk, were foster and adoptive parents with the State of Florida, fostering 23 boys between 2017 and 2023 and adopting five boys between 2015 and 2023. The pair also co-authored an adoption journal titled “Our Journey.”
Ballard was booked into the Pinellas County Jail. Detectives said there is no evidence to support additional charges at this time, and the investigation is ongoing.
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