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Police Briefs 4/26/18

Clay County Sheriff's Office
Posted 4/25/15

Another child pornography arrest for CCSO ORANGE PARK – A 27-year-old Orange Park man faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography, the third such arrest in Clay County in the past three …

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Police Briefs 4/26/18


Posted

Another child pornography arrest for CCSO
ORANGE PARK – A 27-year-old Orange Park man faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography, the third such arrest in Clay County in the past three months.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Steven Allen Cawthon II on April 20 from his home in the 400 block of Newport Drive following an investigation that began last fall.
According to the affidavit for arrest warrant, the investigation began in October 2017 and ran through February 14, 2018.
The sheriff’s office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit obtained evidence that Cawthon downloaded numerous images of child pornography to his personal computer.
Using sniffer technology, officers were able to confirm the images were downloaded to Cawthon’s Internet Protocol, or IP Address, according to the warrant.
According to the warrant, police obtained subpoenas to search Cawthon’s home where they looked for the pornographic material. The search found images of children who were bound and sexually battered by adult men.
At press time, Cawthon remains held in the Clay County Jail where his bond is set at $250,030.
On April 13, CCSO charged a Middleburg man for 10 counts of possessing and viewing child pornography.
Officers arrested John Michael Strickland, 42, after searching his home in the 3000 block of Joe Johns Road. When police arrived, they spoke with Strickland who agreed to allow officers to search his home. In the search, police found Strickland was in possession of 10 or more images of child pornography, including one photograph involving a child under the age of five. He remains in jail with bond set at $450,036.
Another child pornography arrest took place in February.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office worked with the Department of Homeland Security to arrest Rodney Thomas Ternovsky, 40, of Middleburg on 10 counts of child pornography possession. On Feb. 15, officers seized various electronics devices such as flash drives where stored the illicit material. Ternovsky is free on bond.

Short stay motel resident reports robbery
ORANGE PARK – Authorities charged a Jacksonville man with robbing a man police said may have been intoxicated at the time of the assault and snatch and grab.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Jeremiah Harper, 26, on April 22 at 8:41 p.m. at the InTown Suites Motel at 442 Blanding Blvd. after talking to the victim.
According to the police report, Harper went up to the victim, who lived at the motel, and punched the victim in the face and stole a bottle of rum and a bottle of sports drink he had just purchased at the liquor store next door.
According to the police report, an additional theft was being reported from 430 Blanding Blvd in which the suspect was described in the same manner as Harper.
Harper was booked into the Clay County Jail where, at press time, he remained held on $55,005 bond.

Road rage incident ends in arrest
OAKLEAF – A road rage incident in which a man was believed to have threatened the driver of a car with a handgun ended last weekend in an arrest.
The Clay County Sheriff’s Office arrested Casey Caroll Rowland, 24, of Jacksonville, on April 21 at 8:49 a.m. in the 400 block of Blanding Boulevard.
According to the police report, Rowland, who has a legal concealed carry permit, was cut off in traffic while driving southbound on Discovery Drive. Police said he was driving a company van belonging to David Gray Electrical when he threatened the victim, his wife and two children in their vehicle.
The victim told police that Rowland pulled up side of his vehicle and shined a laser on to the head of the victim. When police searched Rowland’s car, they found he had a handgun with a laser sight, fully-loaded in the vehicle’s center console.
Police also seized a “pipe commonly used for smoking marijuana” and a device used for grinding cannabis.
Rowland was booked into the Clay County Jail, but has since been released on an undisclosed bond.

Oakleaf fire deemed ‘total loss’
OAKLEAF – Officials with the Clay County Emergency Management Division determined that a home in Oakleaf is a total loss after a fire April 20.
Multiple fire and rescue units from Clay County and Jacksonville Fire Rescue responded to the fire at 958 Autumn Wood Dr. around 6:20 p.m.
Upon arrival, firefighters found the single-story home fully involved. There were two minors – both boys – at home during the fire who escaped with their dogs, safely with no injuries. However, the home and two vehicles are a total loss.
During the fire, there were more than 18 fire apparatus and more than 45 firefighters on scene battling the fire. The State Fire Marshal is on scene investigating the fire. There were no injuries to any responders.