Inverness man arrested on 10 counts of child pornography

Courtesy: Citrus County Sheriff's Office

Citrus County deputies arrested John Warner on 10 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of promoting the sexual performance of a child.

According to the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the High Tech Crimes Unit received tips from NCMEC on February 20, 2020, detailing the transfer of child pornography through an email account. Detectives got a search warrant for the suspected email account, confirming the child pornography. This email account also contained information identifying the suspect, including family pictures, vacation videos, and legal documents, according to the CCSO.

On August 6, 2020, detectives executed a search warrant at Warner's home address of 9809 East Monica Court, Inverness. Once inside the residence, detectives seized all electronic and computer equipment. 

Detectives said in an interview, Warner admitted to owning the email account and stated he would be in prison for the rest of his life.

"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."

Warner’s bond was set at $25,000.