A 17-year-old Ocala teenager is being held without bond in the Marion County Jail after authorities say an August tip about a Snapchat upload led investigators to hundreds of files of child sexual abuse material. Angel Castro faces nine counts of producing child pornography and five counts of possessing child pornography, according to authorities.
According to wcjb.com, the case against Castro, of Ocala, centers on fourteen total felony counts. The investigation traces back to August 14, when the Ocala Police Department received information that Castro had uploaded a file of child sexual abuse material to Snapchat, per Voice of South Marion. Because the file had been uploaded from Castro's home, the case fell outside Ocala police jurisdiction and was referred to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, the outlet reported.
Search Warrant Turns Up Hundreds of Files
Once the Marion County Sheriff's Office took over, investigators obtained a search warrant for Castro's Snapchat records. That search, the station's report states, revealed hundreds of self-produced files showing Castro engaging in what was described as disturbing sexual activity. As the investigation widened, a Homeland Security special agent located additional files Castro had produced on the Signal messaging application, per the same account.
The seed reporting from 352Today.com adds further detail from the sheriff's office announcement, including that Castro identified himself in the videos he created and that authorities believe there may be live victims. The same announcement reportedly states that Castro expressed intent to perform sexual acts on infants and young boys depicted in material he had viewed, and that in Signal files he said he was a pedophile and wanted to kidnap babies to sexually abuse.
Arrest, Custody, and the Case Ahead
Castro was arrested on October 9 and initially transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice before being moved into the Marion County Jail, where he is currently held without bond, Voice of South Marion reported. Under Florida Statutes section 827.071, the law defines a child or minor as anyone younger than 18 and classifies producing or promoting a sexual performance by a child separately from knowingly possessing or intentionally viewing child sexual abuse material, which are generally third-degree felonies, with higher-degree classifications applying in specified circumstances; each image or file potentially constitutes a separate offense, according to the Florida Legislature.
Florida law also gives prosecutors discretion in cases involving teenagers like Castro. Florida Statutes section 985.227 allows a state attorney to file charges against a 16- or 17-year-old directly in adult court when, in the attorney's judgment, the public interest requires adult sanctions to be considered or imposed, per the Florida Legislature. Separately, section 985.556 permits a state attorney to seek transfer of a juvenile case for adult criminal prosecution when the child was 14 or older at the time of the alleged offense, subject to a court hearing and other statutory conditions.
Authorities are asking anyone with information related to the case to call 352-351-4710.
