TAMARAC, Fla. – A 51-year-old Tamarac man accused of possessing child sexual abuse material and catfishing girls online posted bond Sunday.
Julio Sanchez was arrested Friday and is facing 14 counts of child porn-related crimes after Broward Sheriff’s Office detectives found child pornography in his home, authorities said.
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A judge set Sanchez’s bond at $90,000, which he posted Sunday.
BSO spokesperson Carey Codd said in a news release that an internet search provider tipped detectives off to Sanchez back in January and they served a search warrant at his home in the 8200 block of Northwest 75th Avenue.
“According to detectives, Sanchez initially denied the allegations and stated that he recently lost his cellphone,” Codd said. “Following a search of the home, detectives located Sanchez’s cellphone and laptop in a false compartment in a cabinet.”
On the devices, detectives found that Sanchez had posed as a girl and communicated online with several underage girls in an attempt to catfish them, deputies said.
One of the victims provided Sanchez with “numerous pornographic videos,” Codd said.
Detectives also discovered numerous images of child sexual abuse material depicting victims “as young as toddler age,” according to BSO.
According to BSO detectives, “between 2009 and 2019, Sanchez had been previously investigated on three additional cyber tips as well as a peer-to-peer investigation, in which a residential search warrant was executed at his same residence.”
Authorities said no charges were ever filed.
Sanchez, who deputies say confessed to the crimes, faces numerous charges, including production of child pornography, solicitation of a minor, tampering with evidence and multiple counts of possession of child pornography.
Detectives are concerned that there may be additional victims, according to BSO.
They asked anyone with information or who believes they may know someone who was a victim to call BSO Detective Christopher DePelisi at 954-888-5272.