BROOKSVILLE, Fla. (WFLA) — Two men were arrested recently on child pornography charges in Hernando County, according to Sheriff Al Nienhuis.
Nienhuis discussed the arrests in a press conference Friday morning.
The first suspect was Steven Sims of Spring Hill. The sheriff said four tips were made against Sims from January through March, leading deputies to search his home in April.
The suspect was initially charged with 10 counts of child pornography possession, but Nienhuis said a forensic analysis of Sims’ electronic devices led the sheriff’s office to charge him with 90 more counts.
“It turns our stomach,” the sheriff said. “I don’t think most people can imagine what my detectives go through because we obviously have to look at it enough to validate that it is actually pornography and there is actually a child involved.”
Nienhuis said one child in the videos was a toddler while another appeared to be between 4 and 6 years old.
At this time, it is not known if there were any local victims in his case, but the sheriff’s office said it is open to speaking with any potential victims.
Nienhuis said the second suspect was Joshua Blight, a registered sex offender who was arrested in 1998 for aggravated criminal sexual abuse on an 11-year-old family friend.
“I think most people might believe he is a blight,” Nienhuis said.
He said a tip led deputies to search Blight’s home, ending in him being charged with 10 counts of child pornography possession. If convicted, Blight’s charges could leave him with a prison sentence of 156 years, according to the sheriff.
Both are in the Hernando County Jail as of this report.