Inverness man arrested on child pornography charges

Citrus County, Florida - After an investigation into cyber tips received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), Inverness resident John Warner was taken into custody by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography and 1 count of promoting the sexual performance of a child. Warner was incarcerated at the Citrus County Detention Facility, where his bond was set at $25,000.

According to Sgt. Lee Carey, with the CCSO's Community Relations Department, August 6, detectives with the agency's High Tech Crimes Unit received tips from NCMEC on February 20, 2020, detailing the transfer of child pornography through an email account linked to Mr. Warner. Detectives obtained a search warrant for the suspected email account, and confirmed the child pornography. This email account also contained information identifying the suspect, which included family photographs, vacation videos, and legal documents. In an interview, Carey said, Warner admitted that he owned the email account and stated he would be in prison for the rest of his life.

On August 6, 2020, detectives executed a search warrant at Warner's home address of 9809 East Monica Court, in Inverness, Florida. Detectives seized all electronic and computer equipment within the home for anaylsis.

"Having highly trained detectives working in coordination with national organizations such as NCMEC continues to benefit the citizens of Citrus County," said Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "Leveraging partnerships with local, state, and federal organizations is another way we are keeping Citrus County the safest community in Florida."