A search for bank account information on a cellphone inadvertently led Marion County deputies to uncover an alleged child exploitation scheme orchestrated by a 26-year-old man.
The Marion County Sheriff’s Office launched an investigation on Sunday, July 12, after they were alerted to the possible presence of child sexual abuse material on a cellphone belonging to Citra resident Logan Shayne Litton, according to the agency.
Litton had been arrested two days earlier on an unrelated domestic battery charge, and he reportedly gave his cellphone to a woman so she could access his bank account information.
MCSO stated that when the woman searched Litton’s cellphone for the banking details, she allegedly found sexually explicit messages between Litton and a teenage boy. In the messages, investigators noted that Litton portrayed himself as a “17- to 18-year-old girl named Cassandra.”
On Wednesday, July 15, an MCSO detective interviewed Litton at Marion County Jail and confronted him about his online activity. Litton allegedly admitted that while using several unspecified websites, he pretended to be a teenage girl, communicating with boys as young as 14 years old.
In addition, Litton allegedly told the detective that he had “chatted with around five underage boys,” adding that “most of them sent child sexual abuse material to his cellphone,” according to the report.
A subsequent digital forensic extraction of Litton’s cellphone reportedly revealed additional explicit conversations with three boys between the ages of 12 and 14, according to the sheriff’s office. Investigators also alleged that Litton, acting as “Cassandra,” had directed the boys to perform sexual acts on camera and send him the video footage.
While still in custody at Marion County Jail, Litton was charged with three counts of using a computer to solicit a child, six counts of directing a sexual performance by a child, and one count of utilizing a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony.
Jail records show that Litton is scheduled to appear in a Marion County courtroom at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, July 22, regarding the unrelated battery charge. A court date has not yet been scheduled in connection with the other 10 charges.
“Detectives believe that Litton has other victims, and the investigation is ongoing,” stated MCSO in a media release. “Anyone with information is asked to contact Detective Coates at 352-368-3586.”