(Citrus County, FL) This past Wednesday, May 15, 2024, 55-year-old John Cleveland Downing Jr. was sentenced to 15 years in the Florida Department of Corrections.  Downing was charged with 12 Felony counts of Possession of Child Pornography for his December 28, 2023, arrest.  

Downing’s arrest followed an extensive investigation led by Detective Patrick Martin of the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office High Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU), in collaboration with the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) and the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force.

The investigation began when Detective Martin received a report from NCMEC indicating the presence of potential child pornography linked to a residence in Citrus County. Utilizing advanced investigative techniques, he confirmed that Downing possessed numerous images and videos of child pornography.

Following these findings, Detective Martin and the CCSO Criminal Investigations Division (CID) executed a search warrant at Downing’s residence. Several digital storage devices were seized as evidence during the search. Downing was arrested and booked into the Citrus County Detention Facility.

“I commend the detective in this case for following up on this report and apprehending the defendant,” said Bill Gladson, Fifth Judicial Circuit State Attorney. “My office has zero tolerance for criminals who possess this type of material and will vigorously prosecute these cases.”

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorney Blake Shore.

Published on 05/17/2024.