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8 charged in international child porn ring involving over 1M files busted in Florida

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8 charged in international child porn ring involving over 1M files busted in Florida


At least eight suspects are facing charges in connection with an international child pornography ring involving over a million videos and photos showing sexual abuse of children that was busted by authorities in Florida.

The people charged include a main distributor who lives in Turkey and at least seven Florida residents who purchased the materials, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier told reporters at a news conference Monday.

“What these guys were doing was truly heinous. There’s not a word in the English dictionary that can describe the gross content that was on the videos,” Uthmeier said.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement began their investigation in July 2024 and agents were looking for people selling and distributing child pornography online.

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Through a chat room, agents discovered a website that was selling the materials, and agents were able to purchase 6.7 terabytes of child porn, about 1.2 million videos and photos, for just $100, authorities said.

The videos and photos include identifiable children from the United States including babies who are victims of human trafficking, sexual battery and a plethora of other crimes, authorities said.

Uthmeier identified the ringleader of those selling the materials as Mehmet Berk Bozuyuk, a resident of Turkey.

Bozuyuk is facing charges including RICO, conspiracy to commit RICO, money laundering, 13 counts of promotion of sexual performance by a child 10 images or more, 11 counts of selling child pornography, 13 counts of out-of-state transmission of child pornography by electronic device, 13 counts of distribution of obscene material, and nine counts of use of two-way communication device.

Authorities are working to extradite him to Florida to face the charges, Uthmeier said.

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A New Jersey man, Krunal Kumar Nareshbhai Modi, and an Oregon woman, Xiomara Del Real Maqueda, are accused of being money mules for the operation, Uthmeier said.

Seven people from Florida who purchased the materials are also facing charges. One man was already a registered sex offender who was serving 20 years of probation in a previous child porn case, and another was found with children’s underwear in his home, authorities said.

“It is just evil, the faces you see there are faces of evil,” said FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass, standing next to a poster showing the suspects. “It’s evil and the sad part about is there’s many more out there.”

Glass said there are also suspects in Canada and Ireland who may be tied to the child porn ring and that it remains under investigation.

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Rainy stretch continues in South Florida

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Rainy stretch continues in South Florida


South Florida is experiencing a prolonged stretch of wet weather as deep tropical moisture combines with a stalled frontal boundary across the region.

The result has been frequent showers, thunderstorms, periods of heavy rainfall, and localized flooding concerns from Broward to Miami-Dade and throughout the Keys.

The atmosphere is loaded with moisture, allowing storms to produce intense downpours in a short amount of time.

Some neighborhoods have already seen several inches of rain, with additional rounds of showers and thunderstorms expected through the end of the week.

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Flood-prone streets and poor drainage areas remain especially vulnerable during the heaviest rainfall.

While the rain is helping ease drought conditions, it is also increasing the risk of flash flooding and travel delays.

South Florida is two weeks into its rainy season, when abundant heat and humidity combine to generate daily rounds of showers and thunderstorms.

Heavy rainfall, frequent lightning, and gusty winds are common features of this time of year.

The good news? Drier air will gradually filter into parts of the region heading into the weekend, allowing rain chances to slightly decrease. Until then, keep the umbrella handy and be prepared for sudden tropical downpours.

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Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida

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Man accused of kidnapping woman at Wawa in Central Florida


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A man is in custody after deputies said he tried to kidnap a woman at a Wawa near Winter park. Per investigators, Matthew Seaberg approached the victim from behind, picked her up by the waist, and threw her into his truck.



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Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino

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Jury selection continues in fatal boat crash trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino


MIAMI — A new group of prospective jurors was questioned Tuesday in the trial of South Florida real estate mogul George Pino, who is charged in connection with a 2022 boat crash that killed a teenager in Miami-Dade County.

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During jury selection in a Miami-Dade courtroom, Judge Marisa Tinkler Mendez asked potential jurors what they already knew about the case and whether they had recently seen or heard anything about it.

Several prospective jurors said they knew only basic details, including that a fatal boating crash occurred and that a teenage girl died. Others said they recalled media reports that alcohol may have been involved.

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As questioning continued, some prospective jurors disclosed connections to schools and communities tied to the case.

Passengers aboard Pino’s boat included his wife, his teenage daughter and 11 of her friends, many of whom attended private schools in Miami-Dade County.

One prospective juror said they graduated from a local private school around the time of the crash and were familiar with some of the students involved.

Another said references to schools and witnesses brought back memories of seeing posts and articles about the incident shared on social media.

A third said their child participates in youth sports with students from schools connected to the case.

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Investigators said the boat struck a channel marker while returning from an outing on Biscayne Bay. Seventeen-year-old Lourdes Academy student Lucy Fernandez drowned after the crash.

Tinkler Mendez also addressed concerns that a prospective juror had been viewing a news report about the case on a cellphone while waiting outside the courtroom.

Another prospective juror reported hearing the report but said it was not loud enough for everyone in the area to hear.

Tinkler Mendez reminded prospective jurors to avoid news coverage and social media discussions related to the case as jury selection continues.

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