Bradenton man arrested on child porn charges
A 38-year-old Bradenton man is facing multiple charges of child pornography possession, according to the Bradenton Police Department.
Police say Joseph Michael Vaught downloaded images of children who were between the ages of 5 and 10 being abused by men.
According to the arrest report, police received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on Oct. 8 that an unknown person at a specific IP address in Bradenton had downloaded the images in September.
An investigation was launched, during which detectives traced the IP address back to Vaught.
Police executed a search warrant on Vaught’s residence and conducted an initial search of his computer and cellphone. Vaught denied downloading the photos found on his phone, but told law enforcement he hadn’t viewed child pornography since the 1990s.
A more in-depth forensic investigation of Vaught’s cellphone found multiple images and he was charged Tuesday, Nov. 10 with 12 counts of possessing child pornography.
Vaught was booked into the Manatee County jail and remains in custody on bonds totaling $120,000 pending a future court date.