Joshua Facian of Inverness, FL, was arrested Wednesday after police allegedly found thousands of photos and videos of child pornography at his home.

Faciane, 40, was charged with 50 counts of possession of child pornography. He was ordered held on $100,000 bond. The press did not name an attorney for him.

According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, detectives received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an internet user in Inverness who had downloaded child pornography.

Police tracked the tip to Faciane’s address, 75 miles north of Tampa, and secured a search warrant for Faciane’s home. They executed the search warrant on July 12, and reportedly seized digital media and storage devices from his home. The Citrus County High Tech Crimes Unit analyzed thousands of files and allegedly identified over 3,000 pictures and videos of child pornography.

“The most heinous crime is where criminals prey on innocent children,” said Sheriff Mike Prendergast in a statement. “Detectives in cases such as these have to view and analyze the images and videos of young children being exploited; it’s upsetting. We appreciate our High Tech Crimes Unit detectives’ commitment in identifying potential victims and arresting the people that commit these repulsive crimes.”

An arrest warrant for Faciane was filed this week. He was arrested at Ocala Regional Hospital and was taken to Marion County Jail.

The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office told the press that it is committed to helping victims and is asking anyone who is a victim in this case, or who knows someone who is, to contact them at 352-726-1121.

Possession of child pornography is an extremely serious charge that carries harsh penalties. The sanctions for possession can vary depending on the circumstances, but there are a few rules defendants need to understand:

• Prosecutors can charge a count for every image and video found.
• Possession of child pornography is a third degree felony punishable by up to 5 years in prison for each count.
• Defendants found in possession of more than 10 images can have their charges enhanced to second degree felonies, punishable by up to 15 years in prison for each count.
• Prosecutors typically file some, but not all, possible charges.
• Prosecutors will then file all possible charges, including enhanced charges, if the case proceeds to trial.
• Being a first-time offender doesn’t qualify a defendant for a reduction in sentence by itself.
• Having a prior record, especially for the same offense, will serve to enhance a defendant’s sentence.

In addition to a long jail sentence and hefty fines, being prosecuted for possession of child pornography carries enormous social stigma. A conviction also includes mandatory life-time registration in the national sex offender registry. For these reasons, it is important for a defendant to exhaust every opportunity to defend themselves.

South Florida Child Pornography Attorney

If you are involved in a child pornography case, then you should hire an attorney. Contact us to set up a free initial consultation and work with one of South Florida’s most experienced child pornography attorneys.

Source: 9.18.19 thousands of child pornography images, videos lead to arrest of man in Citrus County.pdf