Crime & Safety

Valrico Soldier Busted on Child Porn Charges

U.S. Army soldier Thomas Meyer, who was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, was arrested by federal agents Wednesday.

A U.S. Army soldier from Valrico was arrested by federal agents on child pornography and obscenity charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said Wednesday in a media release.

Thomas K. Meyer, 42, who was stationed at MacDill Air Force Base, allegedly engaged in sexually explicit chats with a 15-year-old Pennsylvania girl and an undercover detective in Kentucky whom Meyer thought was a 13-year-old girl.

According to a criminal complaint, Meyer asked the 15-year-old girl to send him three nude photographs online and discussed meeting her at a hotel for sex.

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Meyer is also alleged to have sent explicit videos of himself to the agent he believed was a 13-year-old and encouraged the supposed girl to send him sexually explicit pictures of herself.

Meyer was taken into custody by FBI officials Wednesday at his home in the 2700 block of Briarpatch Drive — just a few blocks from — WTSP 10 News reports.

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A neighbor with three children told the news station the news of Meyer's charges was "kind of scary."

Meyer is charged with transportation of child pornography, attempted production of child pornography, and transfer of obscene matter to an individual under the age of 16. If convicted, he could face more than 30 years in federal prison, prosecutors said.


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