Lakewood Ranch man faces federal charges after sending nude images to minor, deputies say
A Lakewood Ranch man has been indicted on federal charges after investigators say he used a computer to solicit a minor for pornography.
Pete Supan, a 38-year-old physician who practices medicine in Sarasota, was arrested Wednesday and charged with one count of transmission of harmful materials and one count of production of child sexual abuse material.
On Oct. 28, detectives in the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit say they received a tip about suspicious chats on the social media platform Reddit involving an adult from Bradenton and a minor in Utah. During the online chat, the sheriff’s office said Supan, who portrayed himself as a 19-year-old man, solicited a 14-year-old girl for nude images and described sex acts he would perform on the minor.
The investigation that followed revealed Supan as a medical doctor practicing medicine on adult patients in Sarasota, according to the sheriff’s office. When a search warrant was executed on Supan’s Lakewood Ranch home, detectives say Supan admitted to chatting with the girl and soliciting explicit images from her, as well as sending her explicit photos of himself.
Detectives say they were able to find the minor in Utah and that authorities there were already investigating the incident and had collected enough evidence to take the case to federal courts. The sheriff’s office coordinated with the FBI and U.S. Attorney’s Office to formally charge Supan, who was arrested in Sarasota and later transferred to the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service in Tampa.
Multiple devices were seized from Supan’s home and are undergoing forensic examination, according to a news release. Investigators said that Supan had no direct access to children through his medical practice and did not travel to meet any minors.
The investigation is ongoing.
This story was originally published January 9, 2025 at 10:43 AM.
