A routine shopping trip at the Walmart on Deep Lake Road near Oviedo turned into a disturbing scene when Seminole County deputies seized a phone they say was packed with hundreds of child sexual abuse images and videos. Deputies arrested 21-year-old Dylan Kyle Ouellette at the store after the father of two young girls chased him down, accusing him of secretly recording his children. Prosecutors later escalated the case, and a judge set Ouellette’s combined bond at $1.75 million.
Confrontation in the toy aisle
Investigators say the mother spotted a man walking behind her and appearing to record her 4- and 8-year-old daughters in the toy section. Her husband followed the man into the parking lot and demanded to see his phone, according to FOX 35. Deputies arrived and arrested Ouellette at the scene. The arrest report quoted him saying he had gone into the store for fishing gear but started recording because he "thought they were cute."
Detectives: search warrant turned up hundreds of files
After securing a search warrant, detectives say they uncovered "hundreds of pictures and videos depicting child sexual abuse material" on Ouellette’s phone, along with messages in which he allegedly talked about an interest in girls ages 7 to 14, according to WESH. The outlet also aired cellphone video showing the husband confronting Ouellette while deputies were responding to the Walmart. Investigators say the device held recordings of other families as well.
Court hearing and restrictions
Ouellette appeared in Seminole County court on April 29 and now faces 50 counts of possession of child pornography. Bond was set at $35,000 for each count, for a total of $1.75 million, WFTV reports. The judge ordered him to have no contact with anyone under 18, required GPS monitoring, banned him from using internet-capable devices and restricted him from going to places where children typically gather. Authorities say Ouellette was still being held in the Seminole County jail as of Thursday.
Past arrest and defense
Court records show Ouellette was arrested in Apopka in 2022 on a child-pornography charge as a juvenile and received a withhold of adjudication and juvenile sex-offender probation that was set to last until he turned 21, according to WESH. His attorney, Rajan Joshi, told the station that "it's too early to jump to conclusions" and said the defense plans to thoroughly review discovery, noting that Ouellette is a mechanical-engineering student at UCF.
Legal backdrop
Possessing images or videos that depict the sexual performance of a minor is outlawed under Florida law and treated as a serious felony. State statutes allow each file or image to be charged separately, according to the Florida Legislature. Prosecutors must prove knowing possession as the Seminole County case moves forward, while detectives continue combing through digital evidence. Judges also have specific tools under that law to limit how sensitive material is reproduced or handled during court proceedings.
Store response and safety advice
Local coverage quoted the mother involved as saying the incident left her traumatized and urging other parents to stay hyper-aware of who is around their kids in public places. Deputies and local outlets are reminding shoppers that store employees and law enforcement can step in when someone is suspected of secretly recording children, and that anyone who believes a child is being targeted should call 911 immediately.
