Joseph Christopher Mazzoni, 46, had been wanted since March 9 by Pennsylvania State Police and the Pennsylvania Attorney General\u2019s Office on charges of dissemination of child sex acts and sexual abuse material, according to the release.<\/p>\n
Investigators with the U.S. Marshals Service Eastern Pennsylvania Violent Crime Fugitive Task Force and Florida\/Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force tracked Mazzoni to Naples, Florida, authorities said.<\/p>\n
A search warrant was executed at a property on the 2300 block of Crawford Avenue on the morning of Wednesday, May 13, according to the Marshals Service. After searching the property, investigators found Mazzoni living in the woods behind the residence, officials said.<\/p>\n
He was taken into custody and transported to the Collier County Jail, where he awaits extradition back to Pennsylvania.<\/p>\n
Mazzoni is a twice-convicted sex offender who was previously convicted of possession of child pornography in Delaware County, authorities detailed. The conviction classified him as a Tier 3 sex offender, requiring lifetime residency registration under Megan\u2019s Law.<\/p>\n
Investigators also believed Mazzoni had been receiving assistance while hiding in Florida to avoid law enforcement detection, according to the release.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe U.S. Marshals Service has zero tolerance for sexual predators preying on children; as Mr. Mazzoni learned, going entirely off of the grid in a different state offers no respite from the relentless pursuit of justice,\u201d U.S. Marshal Eric Gartner said in the release.<\/p>\n
The investigation involved the U.S. Marshals Service in Pennsylvania and Florida, Homeland Security Investigations, Pennsylvania State Police, the Pennsylvania Attorney General\u2019s Office, Lee County Sheriff\u2019s Department, Fort Myers Police Department, Collier County Sheriff\u2019s Office, and the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.<\/p>\n
A Pennsylvania fugitive sex offender accused of disseminating child sexual abuse material was captured after US Marshals found him living in the woods behind a Florida home, authorities say.<\/p>\n