Disney Employee Arrested in “Horrific” Child Pornography Investigation

Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described the details of “Operation May’s Monsters,” an investigation by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office Computer Crimes Unit.

The monthlong investigation aimed to identify those who possess and distribute child pornography.

The investigation led to the arrest of eight men, including a Disney employee.

“These videos and photographs are some of the most horrific my detectives have ever seen – images of children being forced to expose their genitalia and raped. Each time one of these monsters uploads and shares child pornography, they are feeding the child exploitation pipeline and they are victimizing children over and over again. Parents, this is another stark reminder of why it is important to get all in your child’s business when it comes to their gaming stations, cell phones, and other electronic devices,” Judd said.

Watch as Sheriff Judd described the details of Disney employee Paul Viel:

DISNEY cast member Paul Viel, 40 yrs old ARRESTED on 540 counts of CSAM, ranging from newborns to eight-year-olds. Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd spoke about the “horrific” images.#PedophileDeservesDeath pic.twitter.com/1PUEfeWgdF

— ꪻꫝể ꪻꫝể (@TheThe1776) June 8, 2023

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office listed the details of Paul Viel’s arrest:

40-year-old Paul Viel of Davenport was arrested and charged with 999 counts of *enhanced possession of child pornography (F2) after an on-scene preview of his devices and forensic examination of his devices that were seized. Detectives found images and videos of children as young as newborns being sexually battered. Viel works for Walt Disney World at the Cosmic Rays Restaurant. He is being held in the Polk County Jail on a $2,700,000 bond ($5,000 per charge).

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The Ledger reports:

On April 24, PCSO’s Office of Emergency Communications Center received a call that self-employed photographer Stefan Young, 58, of Lakeland, had posted a Craig’s List ad for a mother with two young daughters to contact him. The tipster said when contacted, Young disclosed he conducted boudoir shoots with children as young as 13. An undercover detective responded to Young’s advertisement. Young told the detective he would conduct a boudoir-style photoshoot with an underage girl. Young began an online conversation with a different undercover detective who was posing as a 13-year-old girl and asked if he could take nude photos of her, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Young requested the “13-year-old” to “sneak” a picture of herself and send it to him. Polk deputies executed a search warrant at Young’s residence May 25 and during a review of his devices found three lewd images of a 9 year old, the Sheriff’s Office said. Young was arrested and charged with three felony counts of child pornography. He is being held in jail on $30,000 bond.

• William Cuevas, 49, of Auburndale is charged with 66 felony counts of enhanced possession of child pornography and one felony count of possession of child pornography. The Sheriff’s Office said Cuevas had images and videos of children as young as 4 being sexually battered. He is being held in Polk County Jail on $155,000 bond.
• Davenport resident Reid Donaldson, 24, has been arrested and charged with 11 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography. Donaldson had videos and images of children as young as 3 being sexually battered, according to PCSO. He is being held in jail on $110,000 bond.
• Jay Homuth, 52, of Lakeland faces 97 felony charges of enhanced possession of child pornography. Homuth told detectives he is addicted to child pornography and is uncertain how many files would be found on his devices, according to sheriff’s reports. Investigators said he had images and videos of children as young as five-years-old being sexually battered. Homuth is being held in jail on $485,000 bond.
• Polk City resident Shayne Osborne, 33, is charged with 201 felony counts of enhanced possession of child pornography. Detectives said Osborne said he came across child pornography while searching for bestiality pornography, and claimed to delete it after downloading it. During an on-scene review of his devices, the Sheriff’s Office said detectives found video and images of children as young as a year old being sexually battered.
• David Sparks, 66, of Lakeland is charged with 350 felony counts of enhanced possession of child pornography. Detectives found Sparks had images of children as young as three-months-old being sexually battered, according to the Sheriff’s Office. He is being held on $1.75 million bond.
• Haines City resident Ryan Thomas, 39, faces 11 felony charges of enhanced possession of child pornography. Detectives found images and videos of children as young as 5 being sexually battered on his electronic devices, according to the Sheriff’s Office. Thomas is being held in jail on $55,000 bond.

Watch the full press conference for “Operation May’s Monsters” below: