Palmetto man gets prison after downloading child sex abuse content, prosecutors say
A Palmetto man is set to spend over a decade in prison after his conviction on several counts of possessing child sexual abuse materials.
A Manatee County judge sentenced Anthony Richie Medina, 34, to 15 years in prison after he previously pleaded no contest to 30 counts of possessing child sexual abuse materials, according to court records.
Medina will also serve two years of community control and three years of sex offender probation following his release. His probation includes several strict conditions, such as mandatory treatment, a 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew and no internet access until treatment is complete. He is also barred from contacting minors or visiting schools and daycare centers.
Court records show Medina has filed an appeal seeking to overturn his conviction. His attorney did not immediately respond to the Bradenton Herald’s request for comment.
The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested Medina in 2021 after detectives said they found at least 50 images and videos depicting child sexual abuse or exploitation material on Medina’s electronic devices. According to an arrest report, detectives said they flagged an IP address used to download the files and found it belonged to Medina.
Investigators say a search warrant executed at Medina’s Palmetto home uncovered multiple electronic devices containing illegal images. Detectives said they seized electronic devices from Medina’s room, including a desktop computer and a thumb drive. On these devices, detectives said they located 52 images or videos depicting child sexual abuse or exploitation material.
Investigators reported that some of the child sexual abuse videos and images depicted girls anywhere from 1 to 15 years old.
Medina was set to go to trial in August but entered a no-contest plea on the day jury selection was scheduled to begin, the Bradenton Herald previously reported.
