Florida Man Arrested for Producing and Sharing Child Pornography

A Florida man was caught in a child pornography investigation conducted by Homeland Security Investigations. Special agents showed the video to the suspected child abuser’s wife who immediately identified the suspect as her husband.

A toddler was raped on camera and a member of her own family is charged with videotaping it all. James Lockhart, 30,  of Bradenton, is sitting in the Pinellas County jail, charged with possessing and producing child pornography.

Homeland Security Investigations claims Lockhart “Posted a video of extreme sexual abuse of a female child (appearing to be less than 2-years-old) by an adult male.”

According to the criminal complaint filed in federal court, Lockhart posted online a nearly 8 minute video in November 2017. “The video documents the rape,” stated the complaint. “The toddler continues to scream and cry” throughout the ordeal.

The investigation was part of an operation by Homeland Security Investigations to infiltrate high level child pornography websites and rings. Lockhart had uploaded the video to a darkweb child abuse forum.

According to the complaint, investigators discovered the IP addresses of the computers used to post the video and eventually traced them to Lockhart. Agents raided the Lockhart’s Bradenton home last week. Shown photographs, Lockhart’s wife “immediately and without hesitation” identified the toddler. She also identified an adult hand in a photograph “as belonging to her adult husband, James Lockhart.” His wedding ring was removed.