A mother from Florida now faces over 40 charges after being accused of coercing her 11-year-old daughter into performing multiple sexual acts on video, which were allegedly shared with interested viewers.
The unidentified mother, who was arrested at her residence in St. Petersburg, Florida, was apprehended shortly after authorities took a 38-year-old man into custody who had accessed and viewed child pornography that the mother purportedly distributed, according to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.
The mother reportedly transmitted at least 14 pornographic videos filmed during March and April, showing her daughter in explicit situations, including one involving the family dog, as described by Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri in a video posted on Facebook.
“The actions of this mother towards her daughter are not only graphic but horrific,” Gualtieri stated.
“This case represents the most severe form of child abuse; it is not just sexual abuse but a grotesque exploitation of a young girl by her own mother to gratify an adult’s perverse interests in watching children in sexual situations,” he further commented.
The sheriff suggested that the mother and the 38-year-old man connected through the internet, with officials investigating the possibility of financial transactions involved.
It remains undetermined whether the videos were disseminated to additional recipients or the total number of videos that the mother compelled her daughter to record.
Investigators have determined that the other members of the victim’s family were likely unaware of the abuse, which did not involve her siblings.
The young girl will remain in her father’s care, with notice from Gualtieri that the Department of Children and Families is actively involved, along with various support groups for victims.
Gualtieri expressed his disgust at the situation, sharing that his office has arrested 84 individuals on over 900 charges related to the possession or distribution of child pornography this year alone.
“This is absurd. I can’t find another way to articulate it. It’s destroying the lives of children,” Gualtieri remarked.
Following her arrest and arraignment, the mother appeared in court, where the victim’s father was also present. He was observed praying during parts of the proceedings, as reported by Fox 13.
The judge prohibited the mother from any form of contact with her traumatized daughter.
She is currently facing a total of 41 charges, which include four counts of capital sexual battery, 13 counts of distributing child pornography, 13 counts of sexual performance by a minor, and three counts of sexual acts involving animals.
