A Florida man was hit with multiple charges for allegedly uploading sex abuse material involving children and animals on Snapchat, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Tuesday.
The Office of Statewide Prosecution charged Brent Wells, 35, of Oxford, with 14 felony counts related to the possession of sexual abuse materials.
“Trading in this offensive and disgusting material revictimizes the children who were forced to participate in its production and exploits helpless animals who are unable to speak for themselves,” Uthmeier said in a news release. “We have zero tolerance for this depraved behavior in Florida. Our prosecutors will ensure that this predator spends a very long time behind bars.”
The investigation began Dec. 3, when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received a cyber tip about sexual abuse materials being uploaded onto Wells’ Snapchat account.
Investigators found more files of the abuse material after searching Wells’ cellphone. He was arrested on Dec. 5.
Wells faces 12 counts of possession of child sexual abuse materials and two counts of possession of animal sexual abuse materials.
If convicted, he faces up to 70 years in prison.