Lego builder, Disney World worker among men arrested in child porn sting

POLK COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — A Walt Disney World employee, a Lego builder and a driver for a Boy Scout troop were among those arrested in an undercover child porn sting conducted by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

At least 660 felony charges were filed against eleven men who were arrested during “Operation Guardians of Innocence II.” The sting targeted those involved in the possession, promotion and distribution of child pornography.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office released the following details about the suspects who were arrested:

A search warrant was executed at a home in Davenport where 48-year-old Edward Zaborowski III lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being advertised by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Zaborowski, who admitted that the computer equipment was his. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4 to 6 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. 

Zaborowski allegedly told detectives he searches for and downloads child pornography, and has done so for the past two years. He told detectives he is a bartender in Orlando, and a parent helper and driver for his son’s Boy Scout troop. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
•    64 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
•    1 count promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at home in Lakeland where 64-year-old Richard Cousins lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and, during an initial preview of the equipment, located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 8 to 10 years old. 

Cousins told detectives he is married. They seized the equipment for further analysis. Cousins was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
•    143 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
•    3 counts promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2) 

COUSINS CRIMINAL HISTORY: Cousins is a registered sex offender. He was arrested in 1992 in Maine for sexual assault on two male victims under 13 years of age, for which he was sentenced to two years in prison for each victim (4 years total); his sentence was reduced to one year in prison, and 4 years’ probation.

A search warrant was executed at a home in Auburndale where 51-year-old Bruce Nopper lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being advertised by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Nopper, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he is addicted to viewing child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4 to 6 years old. 

His girlfriend allegedly told detectives she previously found disturbing images on his computer, and destroyed the hard drive with bleach and a sledgehammer. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
•    12 counts possession of child pornography (F-3)
•    1 count promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at a home in Davenport where 30-year-old Rickie Vargas-Garcia lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Vargas-Garcia, who allegedly admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he trades and views child pornography, and solicits female juveniles online to send him nude photos and videos of themselves. 

He said he tells juveniles online that he is 18 years old. He said the youngest female he communicated and shared nude photos with was 11 years old. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 3 to 5 years old. He told detectives he’s a Lego builder for Merlin Entertainment. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
•    10 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

VARGAS-GARCIA CRIMINAL HISTORY: Vargas-Garcia was arrested in 2008 in Virginia for DUI.
 
A search warrant was executed at a home in Davenport where 84-year-old Don Carrier lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being advertised by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Carrier, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for several years – he waits for his wife to leave the house and then watches it. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 3 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:
•    200 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
 
A search warrant was executed at a home in Davenport where 53-year-old Roger Catey lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. Detectives responded to the home and talked with Catey, who allegedly admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for approximately one year. 

During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 3 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he is employed at Walt Disney World as a project manager in the costumes department. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

•    24 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
•    2 counts promotion of sexual performance by a child (F-2)

A Disney spokesperson tells News Channel 8 he no longer works at Walt Disney World as of Monday.

 A search warrant was executed at a home in Lakeland where 35-year-old Mathew Sentz lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. 

Detectives responded to the home and talked with Sentz, who allegedly admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for approximately one year. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 2 to 4 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

•    100 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2) 

SENTZ CRIMINAL HISTORY: Sentz is a registered sex offender. He was arrested in Illinois 2000 for possession of child pornography when he was 17 years old, and he was sentenced to & spent 3 years in prison, 30 months’ worth of probation and 200 hours of public service. He was arrested by Lakeland P.D. in 2009 for failure to register as a sex offender.
 
A search warrant was executed at a home in Lakeland where 24-year-old Jarrod Whiting lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. 

Detectives responded to the home and talked with Whiting, who admitted that the computer equipment was his and that he has been viewing child pornography for “a while.” He admitted to viewing images depicting children as young as infants. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 4 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

•    14 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

A search warrant was executed at a home in Mulberry where 20-year-old Alejandro Baltazar II lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. 

Detectives responded to the home and talked with Baltazar, who allegedly told detectives he’s been viewing child pornography for the past two years. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 2 years old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He told detectives he’s a Hillsborough Community College student. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

•    55 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
 
A search warrant was executed at a home in Lake Alfred where 69-year-old Donald Marich lives. Detectives received a tip that child pornography files were being downloaded by a computer user at that address. 

Detectives responded to the home and talked with Marich, who denied downloading child pornography. During an initial preview of the equipment, detectives located files depicting child pornography. He told detectives he is a retired schoolteacher from Maricopa County, Arizona, and that he lives alone but is a Disney annual pass holder and frequently attends the theme park alone. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

•    16 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)
•    3 counts promotion of child pornography (F-2)

A search warrant was executed in Kissimmee, where a 16-year-old boy lives. Detectives received a NCMEC tip that child pornography files were being downloaded to a Dropbox account. Detectives responded to the home and talked with his parents, and then responded to Haines City High School to talk to the suspect. 

He allegedly admitted to viewing images depicting children as young as infants. During an initial preview of his cell phone, detectives located files depicting child pornography with victims as young as 12-24 months old. They seized the equipment for further analysis. He was taken into custody without incident and charged with:

•    12 counts possession of child pornography – enhanced (F-2)

Sheriff Grady Judd will talk about the investigation during a news conference at 1:30 p.m. You can watch the news conference on WFLA.com and the WFLA News Channel 8 Facebook page.