More than 17,000 child porn images found. 14 men face 541 charges, Manatee sheriff says
A months-long child porn investigation uncovered thousands of images of children being abused and led to 14 arrests, according to the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office.
During “Operation Way Ticket,” launched in July, investigators obtained more than 200 subpoenas and 26 search warrants. Detectives searched more than 100 individual devices and found more than 17,000 images of suspected child porn, the sheriff’s office said.
The 14 suspects face a total of 541 felony charges.
Those arrested include:
- Michael Bibby, 59, charged with one count.
- James Moschella, 19, charged with 42 counts.
- Seamus McNeela, 73, charged with 50 counts.
- Richard Warno, 73, charged with 25 counts.
- Robert Edelman, 68, charged with one count.
- Ryan Barg, 44, charged with one count.
- Raymond Hudson, 69, charged with 15 counts.
- Edwin Aguirre-Pineda, 35, charged with four counts.
- Michael Blackmore, 64, charged with one count.
- Parker Vastag, 23, charged with 50 counts.
- Riley Burroughs, 19, charged with 50 counts.
- Sergio Vasquez, 19, charged with 50 counts.
- Chistopher Schwartz, 64, charged with 50 counts.
- Walter Huddleston, 43, charged with 20 counts.
Huddleston faces additional felony charges after he solicited an undercover federal agent posing a minor online, the sheriff’s office said.
“This was discovered after the residential search warrant was conducted at his residence,” the sheriff’s office said Friday. “He was arrested for the local charges, with federal charges pending.”
After months of investigating and building a case, deputies and federal agents arrested 13 of the individuals.
“Due to criminal history and other factors, it was determined that SWAT would make the arrest of both Michael Blackmore and Edwin Aguirre-Pineda,” the sheriff’s office said. “These arrests occurred without incident.”
Schwartz had learned that his residence had been searched by law enforcement and fled to the Fort Myers area, according to the sheriff’s office He was captured by the Lee County Sheriff’s Office and federal agents after he was spotted driving over a bridge in Lee County.
This story was originally published January 22, 2021 at 10:02 AM.