The woman is facing four capital sexual battery charges, with each count carrying the maximum penalty of death.
PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — A St. Pete woman is facing dozens of charges and potentially the death penalty after officials say she distributed child pornography featuring a young family member.
Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced at a news conference on Tuesday that deputies first received word on Friday that a 38-year-old man was receiving child pornography, as well as meeting children to perform sexual acts.
Gualtieri says investigators learned the man was receiving the videos from a woman who was using a relative to perform sexual acts with herself and a dog. He described the footage as “graphic” and “grotesque.”
The footage reportedly included the relative posing in certain ways, performing sex acts with a dog, the woman using sex toys on her relative and both of them performing oral sex on each other.
PCSO served a search warrant at the woman’s home Monday morning and arrested her after she admitted to involving the family member in the sex acts, Gualtieri said.
She now faces 41 charges, including four counts of capital sexual battery, with each count carrying the maximum penalty of death.
Gualtieri described incidents involving child porn as “out of control,” as he says 84 people have been booked in Pinellas County on over 900 related charges since January.
“These cases are the worst cases of child abuse,” he said. “The predators who enjoy watching kids engage in sex acts with dogs and then go online and meet kids to have sex with them are nothing but predators.”
The woman is also facing charges of molestation, transmission of child pornography, sexual performance by a child, sexual activity involving a child and animals, aggravated child abuse and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
“This is nuts, I don’t know how else to describe it,” Gualtieri said. “It’s ruining kids’ lives.”
The woman is in the Pinellas County Jail and is expected to have her first court appearance at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The 38-year-old man is also facing felony charges; however, Gualtieri did not identify him due to the active investigation.
The Florida Department of Children and Families is also involved in this case.
10 Tampa Bay News is not identifying the woman or relative involved to protect the victim’s identity.