Officers have arrested a man they say had the largest child porn stash in the state of Florida — and possibly one of the largest in the world.
John Edward Shearen, 51, was found with anywhere from 500,000 to one million images and videos in his Leesburg, Fla., home, WFTV Orlando reported.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said agents caught Shearen Thursday morning at his computer. He was allegedly downloading child porn at the time. They’d identified him a month earlier while monitoring child porn websites.
Investigators who raided Shearen’s home said they were unsure if he’d had contact with children, WOFL FOX 35 reported, but items found throughout the house suggest children had visited the house.
“One of our concerns is we located several items, outerwear of juvenile girls, including bathing suits, in the residence,” said FDLE Special Agent Jeffrey Duncan. “Our concern is, number one, making sure we don’t have any child victims in this area.”
John Edward Shearen
Investigators are now questioning neighbors to learn if their children had contact with Shearan, WFTV reported. Property managers of the apartment complex Shearen lived in also handed out fliers Friday notifying residents of the arrest.
Shearen allegedly admitted to the crime. He also told authorities that it was his birthday, but records show he was actually born on April 2, according to FOX 35.
FDLE charged the 51-year-old with multiple counts of possession and distribution of child pornography, according to a press release. He remains in Lake County Jail with no bond set.
According to WKMG, investigators described Shearen as the “most notorious child porn downloader they’ve ever taken into custody.”
Another investigator told WFTV, “He is the number one person that can distribute child pornography throughout the world … And he’s been doing it.”
