LAKE COUNTY, Fla. – A 44-year-old man is in the Lake County Jail, accused of uploading videos exploiting a child from his employer’s computer.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says they received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that traced back to an insurance company in Eustis.
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Investigators say the two files clearly contained images and videos depicting child pornography and were uploaded onto KIK, a mobile app.
Authorities say though the files were uploaded from an IP address relating to the insurance company, the user information pointed them to a home in Leesburg. Investigators executed a search warrant, where they met Steven Richey and a woman.
Richey told authorities he lived at the home with the woman and her sons and confirmed he worked for an insurance company but didn’t say which. He also admitted to using the KIK app, according to an arrest affidavit. He then invoked his right to remain silent.
Investigators searched his home and found an iPad that had usernames and passwords consistent with their cyber tip. The accounts also had a profile picture with Richey’s face. Authorities also found Richey’s business cards that listed his name and were branded with the insurance company’s information, including the address to which the cyber tip stemmed from.
Authorities felt this was sufficient evidence to arrest Richey. He’s currently in the Lake County Jail being held without bond. Investigators are asking that bond conditions should include no access to children or to the internet, including restricting access to devices that connect to the internet.