A Florida woman has been arrested and charged with more than 40 serious offenses after allegedly forcing her 11-year-old daughter to participate in disturbing acts that she recorded and distributed online.
According to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office, the woman — whose identity has not been released — was arrested at her home in St. Petersburg on Monday, October 13. Authorities were led to her after apprehending a 38-year-old man found in possession of explicit material allegedly sent by the suspect.
Sheriff Bob Gualtieri revealed that investigators recovered at least 14 videos recorded between March and April, showing the child being exploited in deeply troubling ways. He described the case as “one of the most horrific” incidents of child abuse his department has ever handled.
“The things that this mother did to her daughter are graphic and grotesque,” Gualtieri said in a video statement. “This is not only child abuse but an extreme form of exploitation carried out by a parent for the gratification of an adult with perverse desires.”
Investigators believe the woman and the man who received the material met online, though it remains unclear whether financial transactions were involved or if additional individuals received the videos.
Authorities confirmed that other family members were unaware of the abuse, which did not involve the victim’s sibling. The child is now under the care of her father, with the Florida Department of Children and Families and victim advocates providing ongoing support.
Sheriff Gualtieri expressed frustration over the rising number of similar cases, noting that his office has arrested 84 people on more than 900 child exploitation–related charges so far this year.
The woman appeared in court on Tuesday, October 14, where a judge ordered her to have no contact with her daughter. She faces 41 charges, including multiple counts of capital sexual battery, transmission of child exploitation material, and production of exploitative content involving a minor.
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