Sarasota man in jail after investigators say they found child porn in his home

A 60-year-old Sarasota man was arrested Thursday and being held without bond after investigators said they found items containing child pornography in his home.

The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office searched a home in the 3100 block of Bernadette Lane in Sarasota on Thursday, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Detectives received information that the owner and resident of the home, Edward M. Peteja, 60, was possibly downloading child porn, according to the sheriff’s office.

Inside Peteja’s house, investigators found a DVD and a CD in the bedroom wardrobe.

A detective reported finding 10 files that showed child pornography, depicting children approximately between 10 and 8 years old. Two of the children shown in the files were previously identified as victims by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to the affidavit.

Peteja was arrested and is being held in the Sarasota County jail without bond on 10 counts of possession of child pornography, a felony.

The investigation is ongoing and additional charges are pending, according to the sheriff’s office.

Peteja has previous arrests for use of a child in sexual performance in 2005 and prostitution in 2007, according to the sheriff’s office.