WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. – A South Florida sheriff's deputy was arrested Wednesday on child pornography charges.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office Deputy Kurt Castaldo was arrested after a tip from social media site Tumblr that a user had uploaded images showing children involved in sex acts.
Recommended Videos
The tip was made to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.
A detective traced the IP address on the files to Castaldo's West Palm Beach home.
According to an arrest report, Castaldo admitted to having an interest in child porn for about 20 years and said he's searched for it on his iPhone over the last year. He also admitted to having the Tumblr profile that prompted the investigation.
"The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office holds its employees to the highest standards and never forgets about its duty to preserve the public's trust," sheriff's spokeswoman Teri Barbera said in a statement. "Unfortunately, sometimes an employee makes a bad decision, which leads to misconduct."
Castaldo faces multiple counts of possession of child pornography and one count each of promoting child pornography, transmission of child pornography and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
Barbera said Castaldo, who was hired in 2009, has been placed on administrative leave with pay.