Chipley man arrested on child sex charges

WASHINGTON COUNTY, Fla. (WTVY) - The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) have arrested a Chipley man after an investigation into the online distribution of child sexual abuse material.

According to a release from FDLE, a cybertip was sent in to their agents last year about a user uploading the illegal material on a social media platform.

Investigative work allowed law enforcement to identify the source of the upload, the residence of 18-year-old Jerry Raphael Pitts Jr. After a search warrant was obtained for Pitts’ cell phone, forensic review of the device discovered more than 300 images of children as young as 7-years-old being sexually abused.

Pitts was arrested on Wednesday following this discovery, and he faces 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. He was booked into the Holmes County Jail on a no-bond status pending his first appearance in court, and his case will be prosecuted by the Florida Office of the State Attorney, 14th Judicial Circuit.

Additional details are unavailable at this time, but News4 will update if more becomes available.

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