Paul Zittel: Florida man, 72, arrested after over 220K printed child porn images seized from his home
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OCALA, FLORIDA: After more than 220,000 pornographic photographs weighing an estimated 2,600 pounds were discovered inside a Florida man's house, he is now facing many accusations of possessing child pornography.
According to the Marion County Sheriff's Office, detectives arrested 72-year-old Paul Zittel in his Ocala, Florida, home on Monday, February 27, after receiving information that he was uploading files with images of child sexual assault, as reported by New York Daily News.
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How was Paul Zittel arrested?
The Marion County Sheriff's Office's Detective Chase King received a tip in January that child pornographic files had been posted online, as reported by MNS. King claimed that Paul Zittel, 72, was identified by the IP address. “The main difference in this one is that it is all in a printed physical form where is a lot of times, we’re seeing it on thumb drives or computers in a digital format,” said the detective.
When sheriff's deputies arrived at his house on Thursday, February 23, they discovered more than 200,000 printed pictures in his office and bedroom. Investigators claimed that upon searching his office and bedroom, they found "countless printed photographs of pornography." Also, they discovered a printer that had "obvious signs of heavy use."
“Contact was made with other residents at the home, who stated Zittel would not allow others into his bedroom or office without personally escorting them,” police wrote on Facebook.
Fox News 35 reported in Zittel's residence in Ocala, Florida, where other people reside, police executed a search warrant. According to the tenants, "Zittel would not allow others into his bedroom or office without personally escorting them," according to the deputies.
However, nearby resident Joseph Strachan shared his opinions over Zittel's arrest. “I don’t think anyone in the right mind wants that many copies of one thing, especially something that can get you in trouble.”
What did the police say?
According to the investigators, the 220,000 printed photos that were found weigh more than 2,600 lbs., which is more than a Ford Fiesta.
Detectives further claimed visitors entering his room would be accompanied by Zittel. Det. King was questioned by TV20 regarding any possible leads regarding Zittel's covert activities. “They were able to give us all kinds of information. I don’t know if they had a suspicion of not but at the end of the day, we were able to back trace to actually who it was that finding those images online and printing them out.”
The photographs, according to deputies, were packed in boxes, and a printer on his desk was clearly heavily used. “What I recommend for a person like that is he needs help mentally,” said Strachen.
King continued by stating that more incidents of child porn had been reported in Marion County as a result of the increased scrutiny given to online content by cybersecurity professionals. “Always keep taps on what your kids are doing because what they can get into on the internet in 10 seconds can lead to a world and lifetime of trauma and problems.”
On a $250,000 bond, Zittel was taken into custody at the Marion County Prison. Ocala-News.com reported that he has a court date scheduled on March 28 and that he is facing 25 criminal charges.