A 22-year-old CT technician at AdventHealth Sebring is in custody facing multiple felony charges after authorities say he used a messaging app to trade graphic videos of children.
Detectives with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit arrested Adrian Sanchez at his Ft. Meade home on Friday, January 16, following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC). Sanchez faces 16 counts of promoting a sexual performance of a child and possession of child pornography.
According to the arrest report, the investigation began when NCMEC flagged an account on the Kik messenger app for uploading and sending videos depicting child sexual abuse. Investigators traced the digital activity to an IP address at a residence in Ft. Meade.
After obtaining a search warrant, detectives examined files linked to the account. Of the 31 files reviewed, 17 were confirmed to contain explicit material involving prepubescent children aged 4 to 12. Investigators noted the files depicted severe sexual abuse by adult males.
Authorities say Sanchez did not merely possess the material but actively distributed it. Records show he shared the files 16 times with other users and sent messages attempting to trade for additional content. One specific video he allegedly shared depicted a female child, estimated to be 4 to 6 years old, being abused.
Detectives interviewed Sanchez at his home earlier this month. He admitted to running the Kik account and sharing the files.
Investigators clarified that while the digital crimes are severe, there is currently no evidence suggesting Sanchez had inappropriate physical contact with any children. A review of other electronic devices in the home reportedly returned clean results.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd strongly condemned the suspect following the arrest.
“Anyone who seeks out or shares child sexual abuse material is exploiting real children who are being or have been victimized,” Judd said. “This man was sharing horrific images of children being sexually abused, and that makes him a predator — and predators belong in jail. Our detectives made sure he got there.”
Because minor children live in the home where Sanchez was arrested, the Department of Children and Families was notified.
Sanchez remains in Polk County Jail as forensic experts continue a full analysis of the seized devices.