Politics
Central Florida man charged over illegal images of children and animals on Snapchat
Uthmeier has stepped up prosecutions against accused predators.
A 35-year-old Oxford man is being charged with multiple felonies in connection to a Florida Office of Statewide Prosecution investigation into online sexual abuse materials.
Attorney General James Uthmeier said in a news release that investigators focused on 35-year-old Brent Wells and his activity on the online platform Snapchat at his home in the Central Florida town just west of The Villages.
Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) agents initiated the investigation Dec. 3 after getting a cyber tip from National Center of Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) about sexual abuse materials being uploaded on Wells’ Snapchat account.
“Trading in this offensive and disgusting material revictimizes the children who were forced to participate in its production and exploits helpless animals who are unable to speak for themselves,” Uthmeier said. “We have zero tolerance for this depraved behavior in Florida. Our prosecutors will ensure that this predator spends a very long time behind bars.”
The FDLE agents and investigators with Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution executed a search warrant at Wells’ home in Oxford on Dec. 5. That action also included seizing Wells’ cellphone. Uthmeier said that resulted in finding more digital files depicting sexual acts with children and animals.
Wells is facing 12 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and two counts of animal sexual abuse materials. Uthmeier said the investigation is continuing and there could be additional charges coming.
If convicted of the initial charges, Wells could be sentenced up to 70 years in prison.
The Oxford case is similar to another investigation Uthmeier oversaw in September when a Green Cove Springs man was arrested on similar charges.
Uthmeier said Luke Sedlock was arrested Sept. 11 following an initial FDLE investigation. FDLE investigators received several tips about Sedlock in the First Coast community in August from the NCMEC.
Officers with the Green Cove Springs Police Department executed the search warrant at Sedlock’s Northeast Florida home. Law enforcement personnel seized Sedlock’s electronic devices. Uthmeier said they contained material that involved sexual abuse with young children and animals.
