PUTNAM COUNTY, Fla. — Correction: A previous version of this story contained an incorrect mugshot.
A Putnam County Library employee was arrested Wednesday after he reportedly solicited explicit photos of a minor, according to the State Attorney's Office.
Kurt Batucan Sheldon, 29, is charged with the production and possession of child exploitation material and faces between 15 to 50 years in prison.
Parents of the victim reported to the Clay County Sheriff's Office that an adult had been sending sexually explicit text messages to their daughter on the apps Snapchat and Whisper. The adult told the child he was between the ages of 25 and 29 years old and went by the name "Kurt," according to the SAO. The child told "Kurt" she was 15 years old and lived with her parents.
The conversation started on the Whisper app, according to authorities, and later moved to Snapchat. That's when "Kurt" began requesting explicit photos and videos from the teen, directing the child on how to pose and take the images. The SAO said about 50 images and videos were sent to the adult.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations were able to identify Sheldon’s Putnam County home as the source of the IP address used by the Snapchat account.
A search warrant was executed on Sept. 4 at Sheldon's home by Clay County deputies and HSI. During the search, authorities said the suspect admitted to having child sexual abuse material on a computer. He also admitted to knowingly asking underage girls he met online to send nude photos, including the 15-year-old victim, according to the SAO.
Anyone who may have been a victim of Sheldon's, or knows a possible victim, is urged to call HSI at 1-866-DHS-2ICE or fill out an online tip form here.
