Florida man charged with nearly 1,200 counts of child pornography

SEBRING, Fla. — A Florida man is facing nearly 1,200 counts of child pornography in what deputies are calling the largest collection ever seized in Highlands County, authorities said.

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Jonathan Jhovanny Hernandez, 23, of Avon Park, was charged with 1,182 counts of child pornography and four counts of bestiality images, according to Highlands County online court records.

Hernandez was originally arrested on Dec. 29 by special victims unit detectives on several charges of child pornography possession and transmission after a four-month investigation, WFLA-TV reported.

“At that time, we told you the investigation was just getting started and there would likely be more charges,” the Highlands County Sheriff’s Office posted on Facebook. “What we should have said was there would likely be A LOT more charges -- like more than anyone in our county ... ever.”

Hernandez was originally arrested after detectives found child pornography on his Discord account, an instant messaging application, according to the Miami Herald. Deputies searched Hernandez’s home and discovered 15 electronic devices, according to the newspaper.

At the time, Hernandez was charged with two counts of possession of child pornography, two counts of transmitting child pornography, and one count of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, the Herald reported.

The new charges were filed on Tuesday against Hernandez, who was out on bail, court records show. He was arrested the next day, the sheriff’s office said.

“There is no telling how many charges he could face if detectives went through all the devices,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Detectives say Hernandez’s collection of child porn is the largest they have ever seen.”

Hernandez is being in the Highlands County Jail. Bail was set at $2.4 million, WFTS-TV reported.

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