News and Investigations

In early 2020, Polk County Sheriff’s Computer Crimes detectives served search warrants and made 16 arrests during “Operation Guardians of Innocence V” which focused on identifying and arresting those involved in the possession, promotion, and distribution of child pornography. A total of 1,409 felonies were filed against the suspects, with more charges pending.



“These images are not just pictures of children without clothes. These videos and photographs are horrific images of children being forced to expose their genitalia and forced to perform sex acts – images of children being raped. Those who upload and share child pornography are victimizing children over and over again. Those arrested in this operation create the demand that sustains a child pornographic exploitation distribution pipeline that traumatizes children across the world. Their behavior is disgusting.” -- Grady Judd, Sheriff

A search warrant was executed at 2623 McIntosh Drive in Lakeland, where 45-year-old Nabor Molina lives with his wife and children. Detectives received National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) tips that child pornography files were being saved to a Google account at that address. Detectives conducted a traffic stop and placed Molina under arrest, then served the search warrant at his home. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 18-36 months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. Molina is in the country illegally, and an ICE hold has been placed on him in the jail. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 125 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 2727 Frontage Road #51 in Davenport, where 27-year-old Joshua Charles Johnson lives. Detectives received National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) tips that child pornography files were being saved to Yahoo & Google accounts at that address. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as two years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was recently released from state prison for robbery. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 200 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 2420 Sutton Road in Lakeland, where 61-year-old Stephen Lilly lives. Detectives received two NCMEC tips that child pornography files were being save to multiple accounts by a computer user named “Stephen Lilly” at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Lilly, who initially said his internet and accounts had been “hacked,” but later admitted that he has been downloading and viewing child pornography for the past two years. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as a year old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. Lilly works as an electric fuel equipment operator at TECO. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 100 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 521 Sunset Lane in Auburndale, where 28-year-old Julian Strong lives with his parents. Detectives determined that a computer at that address participated in downloading and sharing over 1,200 images and videos of child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Strong, who admitted that he has been downloading and viewing child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 5 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he’s unemployed. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 100 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 3428 Calabria Avenue in Davenport, where 32-year-old Justin Hazan and 36-year-old Arlandres Sims live together as roommates. Detectives determined that a computer at that address was advertising videos containing child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and talked with both residents. Hazan told detectives he works at Walt Disney World as an operator on the Millennium Falcon ride. He admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4-5 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 15 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

Sims told detectives that he also works at Walt Disney World as a food runner at the Animal Kingdom Resort. He said he and Hazan met at Broward College in South Florida and recently moved to Davenport together. He admitted to downloading and possessing child pornography. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 25 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 328 Jyoti Drive in Davenport, where 38-year-old Edgardo Acevedo Cancela lives with wife and children. Detectives received three National Center for Missing and Endangered Children (NCMEC) tips that a Facebook user named “Austin Rose” uploaded images and videos depicting child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and located two children, ages 10 and 13, inside. Their parents – Cancela and his wife – showed up shortly thereafter. Detectives talked with Cancela, who denied downloading and viewing child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with pre-pubescent aged victims. They seized the equipment for further analysis. Detectives contacted DCF in relation to there being children inside the home. Cancela told detectives he’s a registered nurse at Osceola Regional Medical Center. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 5 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
• 5 counts promotion of child pornography (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 46 River Triangle in Lakeland, where 64-year-old Monty Cottengain lives. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that a computer at that address participated in downloading and sharing images and videos of child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Cottengain, who initially denied downloading and viewing child pornography, then admitted to trading images via Facebook messenger for the past 2-3 years. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as three years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he’s receiving government assistance. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 20 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 1891 Grand Bay Circle in Lakeland, where 18-year-old Landen Ulrich lives with his parents and younger siblings. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that a computer at that address participated in downloading and sharing images and videos of child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located hundreds of files depicting child pornography with victims as young as six months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 200 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 5012 Hemingway Circle (Southern Dunes) in Haines City, where 35-year-old John Aziz lives. Detectives determined that a computer at that address participated in downloading and sharing images and videos of child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located over 70 files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 18 months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he is a pharmacist at the Heart of Florida Medical Center. During the search of his residence, detectives found numerous prescription drugs without prescriptions, and he was charged accordingly. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 72 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
• 13 counts possession of prescription drugs without a prescription (M2)
• 1 count keeping a residence for drug use (M1)
• 1 count possession of codeine (F3)
• 1 count possession of oxycodone (F3)
• 1 count possession of Alprazolam (F3)

A search warrant was executed at 1123 Village Place in Davenport, where 59-year-old Herberto Santiago lives with his wife and adult children. Detectives received three NCMEC tips that a computer at that address participated in downloading and sharing images and videos of child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located hundreds of files depicting child pornography with victims as young as five years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he is unemployed and an Army veteran, and that he receives Social Security benefits. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 15 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 1496 Hamlin Street in Winter Haven, where 49-year-old Scott Michael Bradley lives with his wife. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that a computer at that address was downloading child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Bradley, who admitted to searching for and viewing “questionable” things online. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located 20 files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 7 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he and his wife run two businesses out of their home – Wish You Were Here Vacations, LLC, and Affordable Bookkeeping and Income Tax Services. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 20 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 3919 Avenue P NW in Winter Haven, where 27-year-old Gary Bennett II lives. Detectives determined that a computer at that address was downloading child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Bennett, who was adamant that there was no child pornography on his computers. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located over 100 files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 2-3 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 100 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 906 ½ Vistabula Street, Apt. 2 in Lakeland, where 29-year-old Evan Sharpe lives. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that a computer at that address was downloading child pornography. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Sharpe, who admitting to viewing and downloading child pornography. He additionally admitted to posing as a 13-year-old online to chat with children. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located over 100 files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 12 months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 100 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 1901 Lunn Woods Way in Lakeland, where 27-year-old Jonathon Richards lives with his parents. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that a computer at that address was downloading child pornography. Detectives responded to Richards’ place of employment (Rooms To Go warehouse), and took him into custody. He told detectives he built his own computer and he has seen people talking about child pornography on discussion boards, but said he only looks at adult pornography. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located over 300 files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 12 months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 300 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at 2912 Dudley Drive in Bartow, where 21-year-old Jose Vertoli Llanes lives with his mother. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that a computer at that address was distributing child pornography via Facebook. Detectvies responded to the home and talked with Llanes, who claimed ownership of the Facebook accounts and other social media accounts he uses to communicate and send child pornography. During an initial preview of his computer equipment, detectives located 4 files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 5 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

• 4 counts possession of child pornography - enhanced (F-2)