A Walt Disney World employee, a Boy Scouts volunteer, a retired school teacher and a 16-year-old high school student were among the individuals swept up in a month-long child pornography sting in central Florida, authorities said Tuesday.
According to a Polk County Sheriff’s Office news release, detectives made 11 arrests and a total of 660 charges were filed as a result of “Operation Guardians of Innocence II,” an investigation geared toward identifying those who download and share child pornography.
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Sheriff Grady Judd said the arrests represent the tip of the iceberg. He said authorities likely will pursue additional charges against those arrested once detectives complete forensic analyses of the computers and devices seized during their investigation.
“Most of the images we saw during this investigation depicted children being sexually battered that we have seen before, which means we haven’t yet identified any local child victims. But as always, that is also a part of our investigation,” said Judd.
Below is a list of the 11 arrestees and charges they face:
- Edward Zaborowski III, 48, of Davenport, is a self-described bartender and parent volunteer for his son's Boy Scout Troop. He's charged with 64 counts of child pornography possession and one count of promotion of sexual performance by a child.
- Richard Cousins, 64, of Lakeland, is a sex offender, who served prison time after his 1992 arrest in the sex assaults of two minors. He's charged with 143 counts of child pornography possession and three counts of promotion of sexual performance by a child.
- Don Carrier, 84, of Davenport, is charged with 200 counts of child pornography possession.
- Bruce Nopper, 51, of Auburndale, is charged with 12 counts of child pornography possession and an additional count of promotion of sexual performance by a child.
- Rickie Vargas-Garcia, 30, of Davenport, is a self-described Lego builder for Merlin Entertainment. He's charged with 10 counts of child pornography possession
- Roger Catey, 53, of Davenport, told detectives he is employed as a project manager in the costumes department at Walt Disney World. He's charged with 24 counts of child pornography possession and two counts of sexual performance by a child.
- Mathew Sentz, 35, of Lakeland, is a sex offender who was arrested in Illinois in 2000 for possession of child pornography. He is charged with 100 counts of child pornography possession.
- Jarrod Whiting, 24, of Lakeland, is charged with 14 counts of child pornography possession.
- Alejandro Baltazar II, 20, of Mulberry, is a student at Hillsborough Community College. He's charged with 55 counts of child pornography possession.
- Donald Marich, 69, of Lake Alfred, is a retired school teacher from Maricopa County, Arizona. Marich told detectives he's a Disney annual pass holder who routinely visits the theme park alone. He's charged with 16 counts of child pornography possession and three counts of promotion of child pornography.
- A 16-year-old boy from Kissimmee, whose name was withheld, is a student at Haines City High School. He is charged with 12 counts of child pornography possession.