Ocala Police detectives are searching for a man wanted in connection with child pornography who they believe had fled the country.
The police department’s Internet Crimes Against Children unit received a Cyber Tip that 25-year-old James Fernando Barahona had used his cell phone to download six digital images of child pornography involving a child approximately 6-8 years old.
Ocala Police detectives obtained a search warrant for Barahona’s residence in Ocala, which was executed on Dec. 4. During the search, multiple electronic devices were seized, including his cell phone. A forensic search of that phone was conducted the following day and led to the discovery of 22 videos depicting child pornography involving children between the ages of 4 and 14, four digital images of child pornography and more than 400 images that were defined as child erotica.
Prior to the forensic search of Barahona’s cell phone and after the search warrant was executed, he immediately drove to his father’s house in Marion County, who then drove him to the airport where he fled the country to Costa Rica, an Ocala Police report states.
A warrant has since been obtained for Barahona for 20 counts of possession of child pornography (10 or more images) with a total bond amount of $100,000.
It is believed that Barahona is still out of the country. But anyone with information about his whereabouts that that would aid in his apprehension is being asked to contact the Ocala Police Department at (352) 369-7000.