OCSO: Mary Esther man arrested after deputies find 20 files of child porn on his tablet

MARY ESTHER — A 22-year-old man was arrested this week after Okaloosa County sheriff’s deputies reportedly found 20 files of child pornography on his tablet.

Phillip Dahn is charged with 20 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of use of a two-way communication device to commit a felony, according to a Sheriff’s Office news release.

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The OCSO received a tip last December from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding a user uploading videos of child sexual abuse material (CSAM).

Reports of CSAM, including photos and videos, have been increasing over the past few years. In 2009, there were 100,000 reports of CSAM made to the NCMEC.

Last year, that number rose to 29.3 million reports, which included more than 85 million images and videos. The NCMEC shares reports with local law enforcement agencies like the OCSO for a more targeted response.

A search warrant was executed at Dahn’s home on Bryn Mawr Boulevard in Mary Esther at 6:30 a.m. on Wednesday. During the search, deputies found 20 images and videos depicting children between the ages of 5 and 11 years old.

Another resident of the home was charged with resisting arrest without violence. According to Dahn’s arrest report, he told deputies he has had a problem with pornography for the past six years.

In an interview, he allegedly admitted multiple times that he knew it was wrong and had tried multiple times to stop, but continued to create and delete various accounts.

Dahn allegedly was trading child pornography back and forth with people over the chatting platform Kik Messenger.

This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Phillip Dahn of Florida charged with 20 counts possession of child porn