John Ballard faces 25 charges, including child pornography possession, amid an ongoing investigation by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A Pinellas County man accused of possessing child pornography and images involving sexual activity with animals will remain in jail for now after a judge delayed a decision on whether he should be released on bond.
John David Ballard, 51, appeared by video from the Pinellas County Jail during a brief hearing Thursday afternoon.
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Ballard faces 25 felony charges, including 20 counts of possession of child pornography and five counts involving images depicting sexual activity with animals.
Ballard did not speak during the hearing. His husband attended the proceeding in person but declined to comment afterward. He has not been charged with any crime.
The charges stem from a Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office investigation that began after authorities received a cyber tip alleging Ballard was discussing the sexual abuse of his 7-year-old adopted son through messages on the social media platform Kik.
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During Thursday’s hearing, Pinellas Circuit Judge Philip Federico suggested he could rule on bond immediately but indicated the seriousness of the allegations could weigh against Ballard’s release.
“Choose your poison, I guess, is what I am saying right now, as far as this whole situation is concerned,” Federico told Ballard’s attorney.
Rather than proceed with a bond determination, defense attorney Michael Haworth agreed to take additional time and have the matter heard at a later date before Circuit Judge Pat Siracusa, who is expected to oversee the case moving forward.
“I would rather get more ducks in a row and do it in front of the file judge, if that’s the direction that the court is heading,” Haworth told the court.
Court records show Ballard has no prior criminal history.
Prosecutors argued the allegations are serious and noted the investigation remains active. According to investigators, Ballard and his husband fostered 23 boys between 2017 and 2023 and adopted five children during that same period.
Authorities have interviewed many of those children and continue to investigate allegations involving Ballard’s conduct.
During the hearing, Haworth told the court that the Department of Children and Families had removed the remaining children from the home and launched a separate investigation.
“The children in this case have been removed from the home. They are no longer with him or with his husband,” Haworth said.
Haworth also acknowledged that investigators could uncover additional evidence as the case progresses.
“I understand the court position. I understand where the state is coming from that there may be more charges and more information that follows from this,” he said.
No date has been set for Ballard’s bond hearing before Siracusa.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri has described the case as a betrayal of trust within Florida’s foster care system, noting that Ballard and his husband were active members of the foster and adoptive parent community for years before Ballard’s arrest.
The criminal investigation remains ongoing.