COTTONDALE, Fla. (WDNews) – The Florida Department of Law Enforcement arrested Mark Swearingen, 31, and Mackenzie O’Bryan, 20, on 11 felony counts of possession of child sexual abuse material, along with additional charges.
The arrests are part of FDLE’s statewide initiative to track down and apprehend individuals involved in the distribution of child sexual abuse material.
The investigation began in November after FDLE received multiple cybertips from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, which alerted agents to files depicting child sexual abuse uploaded to an online storage platform. Investigators identified Swearingen as the account holder and traced the uploads to his residence.
FDLE agents executed a search warrant at Swearingen’s home, seizing multiple electronic devices. A preliminary forensic analysis uncovered several files containing explicit material of children, including some as young as 1 year old.
During the investigation, agents also found a video of O’Bryan engaging in a sexual act with an animal.
As a result, O’Bryan was charged with one count of sexual contact with an animal. Swearingen was charged with one count of possession of an image or video depicting sexual contact with an animal.
Swearingen and O’Bryan were arrested and booked into the Jackson County Jail on Feb. 6. The State Attorney’s Office for the 14th Judicial Circuit will prosecute the case.
FDLE’s Panama City Field Office conducted the investigation with support from the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.
If you or someone you know is dealing with child exploitation, contact the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children at 1-800-THE-LOST or local law enforcement.
