Flagler County man accused of trying to buy child for sex, possessing child porn
A Flagler County man was arrested after investigators found child sexual abuse material on his computer and discovered that he tried to buy a child for sex, according to a press release.
Joseph E. Blackwell, 30, was charged with 20 counts of promoting the sexual performance of a child and one count of soliciting a custodian of a child for unlawful sexual conduct using a computer or device, according to a press release.
Blackwell was being held Monday at the Sheriff Perry Hall Inmate Detention Facility on $1,050,000 bond after his arrest on Friday.
The investigation began Oct. 28, 2021, after the sheriff’s office received six cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
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That led investigators to execute a search warrant Jan. 19 at Blackwell’s home on Mahogany Boulevard in Daytona North, also known as the Mondex.
Deputies found several devices that contained multiple files of child porn, according to the release.
Through additional investigative techniques, Detective Dennis Lashbrook discovered e-mails sent from Blackwell to an unidentified individual asking to “purchase a child for sex.”
Blackwell and the individual exchanged pictures of children between the ages of 5 and 7 years old and a single female child was chosen as the possible victim, according to the release.
“No actual exchange occurred and there is no evidence to suggest the child in the photograph was in the custody of the unidentified individual at the time of the emails,” the sheriff’s office stated.
When questioned, Blackwell admitted he had been on the internet asking for “young girls” and their pictures for a sexual purpose.
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The sheriff’s office obtained a warrant for Blackwell’s arrest on Friday, the release stated. Blackwell has no prior arrests in Flagler County, the release stated.
Flagler County Sheriff Rick Staly praised the work of his deputies and detectives in Blackwell’s arrest.
“He wanted to find a little girl to victimize with his sick fantasies. Fortunately, we got a tip on this guy and our detectives took it from there,” Staly stated in the release.
This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: Florida man accused of trying to buy child for sex, having child porn
