A Groveland man awaits sentencing after being found guilty of child pornography found on his devices in 2024.
On Tuesday, a jury found 41-year-old Xavier Mendez guilty of 12 felony counts of possession of child pornography. Judge Brian Welke ordered him into custody to await his sentencing hearing.
In July 2024, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement got a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating an online user had uploaded files containing possible child pornography.
FDLE Special Agent Marsian investigated the lead and learned that a Kik user had used the platform to share digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of a child. During the investigation, SA Marsian determined that the account belonged to Mendez, who lived at an address off Prairie Falcon Drive in Groveland.
The investigation was turned over to the Groveland Police Department, where it was assigned to Detective Stellinga. After reviewing the report, a search warrant was issued for Mendez’s residence, where officials seized numerous electronic devices as evidence.
A digital forensics examination of the devices collected from Mendez revealed multiple files of child sexual abuse material. An arrest warrant was issued for him, and he was taken into custody shortly after.
The case was prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Tyler Duffy and Devon Razey.