ORANGE PARK, Fla. – A year’s long investigation into child sexual abuse material led detectives to the discovery of animal sexual abuse material.
Richard Swain Jr, 43, of Orange Park, was taken into custody Monday morning following an investigation that started in 2020.
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According to the warrant affidavit, the investigation into Swain began when authorities received a cyber tip about 18 people receiving child sexual abuse material (CSAM) from a person living in the Jacksonville area who was traveling through Rhode Island.
During the travel, CSAM was uploaded to the KIK messenger app. According to the warrant, the investigation led to Swain being identified as the KIK user who uploaded the sexual material, which also led to a search warrant being executed at Swain’s home in Orange Park.
During the search, detectives said they discovered CSAM files that were shared with 92 KIK users between August and September 2020.
During the investigation, subpoenas were served to several internet providers including Yahoo and KIK. The results of those subpoenas led to additional evidence to build a case against Swain.
Earlier this year, a federal search warrant was obtained to seize Swain’s cell phone. According to the warrant arrest affidavit, a search of the phone revealed files containing animal sexual abuse material (ASAM).
Swain was charged with five counts of possessing images of animal sexual abuse. He remains in jail on a $250,000 bond.
Clay County detectives told News4JAX the case is still under investigation and that more charges are pending. Because the case involves more than one jurisdiction, it’s unclear if Swain will face federal criminal charges and criminal charges from local authorities in Rhode Island.