February 3, 2010
Media Contact: Sandi Copes
Phone: (850) 245-0150
CyberCrime Unit Arrests Duval County Man for Possession of Child Pornography
TALLAHASSEE, FL – Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced a Duval County man has been arrested on charges of possession of child pornography. Joseph Anthony Pappalardo was arrested by the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office.
During a routine undercover investigation, CyberCrime investigators discovered numerous images of child pornography and traced the images back to a computer being used by Pappalardo. A search warrant was executed on Pappalardo’s Jacksonville home in October with assistance from the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. One computer was seized, along with several CDs, and investigators completed forensic analysis to confirm child pornography was indeed on the computer. Some of the images were of children appearing to be no more than six years old.
Pappalardo, 20, was booked into the Duval County Jail and will be charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography, which will be enhanced to a second-degree felony. Additional charges may be added at a later date. The agencies participating in the investigation and arrest are members of the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.