On February 8, 2021, Tampa Police detectives began conducting an undercover internet investigation to locate computers in the Tampa area that were offering to distribute files of child pornography. One such computer, determined to be at 510 E Harrison St. #626, Tampa, FL 33602, advertised 56 files of known or suspected child pornography on an internet networking site between December 5, 2020 and February 5, 2021.
In the early morning hours of April 15, detectives executed a search warrant of the residence. Multiple computer devices were recovered belonging to Ric Adams, white male, (12/12/1960), who advised post-Miranda of some of the devices as being his. The items were transported to The Tampa Police Cyber Crimes Lab for forensic review.
During the forensic review, 100 images constituting child pornography were recovered. The images were of nude children, between the approximate ages of two to fifteen years old, with many of the files depicting children being sexually battered.
On Tuesday, May 4, 2021 at 8:45 AM, the Tampa Police Fugitive Apprehension Unit arrested Adams. He was charged with 100 counts of Possession of Child Pornography (10 or more images). He was transported to Hillsborough County Jail.
Any suspicion of child sexual exploitation can be reported to your local police, your Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, or the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children's CyberTipline online at https://report.cybertip.org or by calling 800.843.5678. For resources and tips for parents and kids, visit NCMEC’s NetSmartz website at www.netsmartz.org or the ICAC Task Force website at https://www.icactaskforce.org.