An Ocala man accused of using the social media platform WhatsApp to view and share child pornography has been arrested on 20 felony charges.
On Monday, March 3, the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children submitted a cyber tip to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office after an account on WhatsApp allegedly used an iPhone 15 Pro Max to transmit child sexual abuse material, according to the arrest report.
During an investigation, MCSO discovered that the account in question belonged to a man identified as Marlon Jefferson Fajardo Paiz. The report further mentioned that a search of the phone number associated with the account led investigators to a home located in the 6500 block of SW 132nd Street in Marion Oaks.
On Thursday, April 24, a search warrant was executed at the Marion Oaks home. A woman who identified herself as Fajardo Paiz’s sister advised that her brother had to switch phone carriers after he “got banned” on WhatsApp, according to the report.
A deputy mentioned in the report that multiple phones at the residence “showed extensive history with (Fajardo Paiz) messaging them from the WhatsApp account number,” including “sending pictures of his passport.”
After Fajardo Paiz’s sister provided an address where Fajardo Paiz could be found, deputies responded to that location and made contact with him. The report stated that after Fajardo Paiz was read his Miranda rights, he gave law enforcement permission to search his iPhone 15 Pro Max, which matched the type of phone mentioned in the cyber tip.
During the post-Miranda interview, Fajardo Paiz allegedly admitted to participating in a group on WhatsApp that was “sharing child sexual abuse material.” According to the report, Fajardo Paiz further admitted to viewing, downloading, and sharing child pornography on the social media platform.
The report stated that Fajardo Paiz denied being sexually attracted to children. He allegedly told investigators that he only enjoyed viewing the child sexual abuse material when he was “intoxicated,” and he confirmed that his old phone number matched the one that was attached to the WhatsApp account associated with the cyber tip.
In the report, a deputy noted that during a search of Fajardo Paiz’s iPhone, at least 20 videos were located that depicted children being sexually abused.
Fajardo Paiz was arrested and transported to Marion County Jail, where he is currently being held without bond. He is being charged with 20 counts of possessing 10 or more images of child pornography.
A court date for Fajardo Paiz has not been scheduled yet, according to jail records.