MARION COUNTY, Fla. – After investigators spent months tracking down the owner of an online username who was excessively downloading child pornography, Marion County deputies say they’ve closed the case and arrested two men.
Investigators received a tip late June through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children about an account with the username “johnny mathura.” Florida Department of Law Enforcement detectives said the user was uploading child pornography onto a Dropbox account.
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FDLE obtained a search warrant and learned the username was connected with 1,091 pictures and 239 videos depicting child pornography, labeling some content as child sexual abuse material, a sheriff’s office release read.
Detectives executed another search warrant Aug. 27 at the Ocala home of Jonathan Mathura and Michael Brooks. During their search, 24-year-old Mathura was questioned about his possession of child pornography. Detectives said that’s when he admitted to downloading photos and videos to his personal computer and online file storage account.
Investigators said Brooks was not initially considered a suspect in the investigation but was questioned as Mathura’s roommate. During his interview, the 62-year-old admitted to viewing and downloading child pornography on two cellphones, according to the sheriff’s office.
Both Mathura and Brooks were taken into custody on possession of child pornography charges. They are being held in the Marion County Jail on $100,000 bonds.