A 31-year-old Dade City man faces 15 felony counts after a months-long undercover internet probe led state authorities to his residence, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.
Samuel Strouth was arrested and booked into the Hernando County Jail on 14 charges of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of possession with the intent to promote.
The investigation began in March, when FDLE investigators conducted an undercover operation on peer-to-peer file-sharing networks to track down individuals disseminating unlawful information. During the operation, authorities discovered a user downloading materials showing child sexual abuse and connected the network IP address back to Strouth’s home.
On September 3, agents from the FDLE Brooksville Field Office and Special Operations Team, along with the Hernando County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at the property. Investigators seized a number of electronic devices for forensic testing.
A preliminary examination of the device revealed several hundred files, including child sexual abuse material.
The arrest is part of a larger statewide FDLE initiative to identify and arrest those who target children and post terrible information online.
Attorney General James Uthmeier’s Office of Statewide Prosecution is managing the case. Authorities acknowledged that the inquiry is ongoing.
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