Polk Co. sheriff may seek extradition from China for man who allegedly had child porn, 'baby sex toys'
Polk County detectives say four local men were arrested and another is wanted for allegedly possessing child porn. The wanted man is currently in China with his wife and children, and Sheriff Grady Judd said he could seek extradition if he doesn't return.
"As young as in diapers. Did you hear what I just said? Children being sexually abused that are as young as being in diapers," Sheriff Grady Judd said Thursday, "and these folks are collecting those images."
Detectives said their investigation began after receiving tips from the National Center for Missing and Endangered Children that the five men were transmitting or downloading child porn imagery. Search warrants were served at five of their homes and detectives seized their digital devices.
"They have a hitch in their giddy-up," the sheriff described. "This is normal to them. This is exciting to them. It is a rush or they’re very comfortable in that sexual conduct."
Investigators said the images did not depict Polk County children but they are still trying to identify them.
The suspects have been identified as –
- 29-year-old Kevin Hairston of Lakeland: Detectives said they found 10 images and videos of children as young as 2 years old being sexually battered. They said the suspect told them he has been actively searching for child pornography for the past two years.
- 19-year-old Felipe Ortiz of Bartow: Detectives said they found images of children as young as 10 years of age being sexually battered.
- 21-year-old Deamontavese Sanders of Lakeland: Detectives said they found two images and videos of children as young as 7 years of age being sexually battered. He also told them he shared child porn imagery on the app, Kik, according to the sheriff's office.
- 17-year-old from Haines City: Detectives said they found 200 images and videos of children as young as 2 years old being sexually battered. Valdez is a senior at Ridge Community High School and, according to detectives, told them he has been viewing child porn since he was a freshman. Sheriff Judd said his agency has requested to try him as an adult.
- 39-year-old Jianchai Chen of Winter Haven: Detectives said he lives part-time in China with family, and they have since obtained a warrant for his arrest. They said they found 132 images and videos of children as young as 5 years old being sexually battered. When he is in the U.S., detectives said he works at Lucky Wok restaurant in Lake Wales.
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"His family was mortified and worked with us completely when we did this investigation," Sheriff Judd said when discussing Chen during a press conference. "He’s not in the country at this moment and time. If he comes back, he will be arrested. If he does not come back, we will work with the Chinese authorities."
Judd said the suspect also had "baby sex toys."
"This is disgusting. His family thinks this is disgusting," the sheriff said. "The world thinks this is disgusting."
Judd said unfortunately there is more child porn out there, and there is a greater likelihood of people being exposed it than ever before. Although technology can be a wonderful tool in the right hands, it can be an ominous one in the wrong ones.
Judd says cell phones have made it much easier to record photos and videos of anything, including sexually explicit ones of children, and distribute them widely on social media.
"For all the good this phone is," he said as he held up his cell, "we see it over and over and over, it used in the wrong way."
As a result, there has been an explosion of child pornography in recent decades.
That fuels a fire that was already burning. Experts say kids who have been the victims of sexual abuse, are more likely to sexually abuse others, and once someone becomes addicted to child porn there is no cure.
"Once someone goes down this path, it is management of the illness more than anything else." Said Kirk Fasshauer, Director of Crisis Services for Peace River Center.