OCALA, Fla. (WFLA) — A Florida man was arrested Thursday after he was caught with over a ton of printed photos of child pornography, according to deputies.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office said last month, it got information on files depicting child sexual abuse being uploaded onto the internet.
Using the IP addresses connected to the files, investigators identified their suspect as Paul Zittel, 72, of Ocala.
Detectives conducted a search of Zittel’s home Thursday and encountered other residents at the residence who said Zittel wouldn’t allow anyone in his bedroom or office with escorting them himself.
“During the search, detectives located countless printed photographs of pornography, many of which depicted CSAM [child sexual abuse material],” the sheriff’s office said. “The prints had been arranged into large stacks and boxes throughout Zittel’s bedroom and office, and a printer on his desk displayed obvious signs of heavy use. Detectives seized the printed materials, a computer, and a digital storage device and removed them from the home.”
According to the sheriff’s office, Zittel possessed over 220,000 printed images of child pornography, which weighed 2,600 pounds.
He was charged with 25 counts of possession of child pornography and booked into the Marion County Jail.