MOUNT DORA, Fla. – The 43-year-old husband of a missing Mount Dora woman was taken into custody Thursday as part of a child pornography investigation, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.
In a criminal complaint, an agent with the Department of Homeland Security said Brett Baldwin — the husband of Nicole Baldwin, who was last seen Nov. 2 at a home in Mount Dora — was being investigated as part of a “missing person investigation.”
According to the complaint, detectives seized Brett Baldwin’s iPhone on Nov. 28 due to the investigation “for evidence relating to the missing person.”
Police said Nicole Baldwin hasn’t been in contact with her children or friends, which is out of character for her.
Mount Dora police announced on Nov. 28 that they were searching a home in Mount Dora in relation to Nicole Baldwin’s disappearance. Despite that, no information was provided about whether that search was the same one that Brett Baldwin was involved in.
However, while reviewing files on the phone, investigators found dozens of images and videos depicting child pornography, investigators said.
Detectives added that Brett Baldwin was planning to move to North Carolina soon, and his daughter Alisha recently told News 6 that they were moving out of their home.
The complaint shows that Brett Baldwin moved from Mount Dora to his mother’s home in Wildwood, along with his 11-year-old daughter and 13-year-old son.
“He has yet to enroll his children in a school, making it evident that this move out of the state of Florida will take place soon,” the complaint reads.
Brett Baldwin was arrested on Thursday and faces a federal charge of possessing child pornography.
News 6 has reached out to investigators for more information on any possible link between his arrest and Nicole Baldwin’s missing person case.
In the meantime, anyone with details on Nicole Baldwin’s disappearance is urged to call Crimeline at 800-423-8477 to leave an anonymous tip. Investigators announced a $5,000 reward for any information that could help them in this case.
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