Missing children identified in St. Petersburg man’s collection of child pornography

July 10, 7:25 AMTampa Crime ExaminerCharisse Van Horn

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The images of several children who are currently in the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children database were identified in a collection of child pornography seized by the CyberCrime Unit. John Kenneth Jackson, a resident of St. Petersburg, Florida has been taken into custody and charged with 30 counts of possessing child pornography and one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child, after an investigation traced pornographic images back to his computer.

Announced by Attorney General Bill McCollum on July 8, 2009, the images were discovered during a routine investigation performed by the CyberCrime Unit. Once the images were discovered, a search warrant was obtained and then executed at John Jackson’s Pinellas County residence. During the search, authorities seized DVDs, CDs, discs, and three computers. All of the evidence will be sent for forensic analysis in hopes of tracing back the images to the location of the missing children. Other images of children seized showed children who appeared to be three years old and younger.

• The arrest involved several official organizations and departments including: Bradenton Police Department
  
• Kenneth City Police Department
  
• St. Petersburg Police Department
  
• U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement

The 30 counts of possession of child pornography that Jackson is being charged will be enhanced to a second-degree felony under the CyberCrimes Against Children Act. The one charge of promoting the sexual performance of a child is also a second-degree felony.  According to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, the state of Florida ranks 4th throughout the nation in producing child pornography.