Five arrested after child porn search warrant also revealed drugs, weapon in Venice home
VENICE, Fla. - Sarasota County detectives obtained a search warrant for child pornography at a Venice home, but they also discovered drugs and weapons inside the residence.
The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children sent a tip to the agency that an email account and cell phone number registered to 24-year-old Stephen Manders were used to upload child porn to a Google server.
On Thursday, detectives seized all electronic devices at the home on Holly Road. Manders was found sleeping inside a bedroom with a cell phone next to him. Detectives said they found 200 images and videos of child porn on the device.
Officials said the children ranged in ages from infants to 17 years old. Manders was arrested and faces 200 counts of child porn possession, possession of meth and possession of butane hash oil.
When detectives entered the home, they also found 39-year-old Michael Smith lying on a couch, with a cell phone underneath him. After they searched the found, they said they found 30 images of child porn, with children between the ages of 6 to 16. He was also arrested on child porn charges.
Three other suspects were found inside the home: 39-year-old Jason Paige, 33-year-old Juanita Roden and 46-year-old Richard Jones. Drugs, such as meth, a Dilaudid pill, and marijuana was found.
All were arrested on drug charges.