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TALLAHASSEE, FL -- Attorney General Bill McCollum today announced that a Santa Rosa County man has been taken into custody on charges of child pornography possession. Kenneth William Force’s possession of multiple images of child pornography was discovered through an investigation initiated by the Lake County Sheriff’s Office and continued by the Attorney General’s CyberCrime Unit. Force was arrested tonight by law enforcement officers with the CyberCrime Unit and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office.

“This case illustrates how CyberCrime clearly knows no geographical boundaries and how important statewide cooperation is in our fight against child pornographers,” said Attorney General McCollum.

Investigators with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office determined Force, 46, possessed images of child pornography when he sent them to an undercover investigator during a series of internet chats lasting three months. The case was referred to the CyberCrime Unit when it was determined Force lived in Santa Rosa County.

"The Santa Rosa County Sheriff's Office and the Florida Attorney General's Office should be commended for their swift actions in this case. This is a good example of interagency cooperation at its finest and we are thankful that because of such, Force is out of the community and in custody where he belongs," said Lake County Sheriff Gary Borders.

A search warrant was executed at Force’s Navarre residence by the CyberCrime Unit and the Santa Rosa County Sheriff’s Office, and two computers were seized, along with 12 disks. Law enforcement officers discovered at least 10 images of child pornography, many of children appearing to be no more than 10 years of age. Force's computers will undergo additional forensic analysis to locate any possible additional images.

"Investigators with our Sheriff's Office continuously pursue online predators and those who exploit children. We are always willing to assist other agencies in apprehending these criminals, especially when they live here in Santa Rosa County." said Santa Rosa County Sheriff Wendell Hall.

Force will be charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography, but additional charges could be added at a later date. Due to the nature and number of images discovered, Force will be charged under the CyberCrimes Against Children Act of 2007, a piece of legislation which gives Florida some of the strongest laws in the nation against child pornography and which was championed by Attorney General McCollum. If convicted of all counts, Force faces up to 150 years in prison.

The CyberCrime Unit's mission is to protect children from computer-facilitated sexual exploitation. The unit does this by working cooperatively on a statewide basis with law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to provide resources and expertise, while preventing the spread of these crimes through education and community awareness. The unit is a member of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICAC) of North Florida.