Florida deputy arrested, fired after videos of kids engaging in sexual acts found on his Snapchat: officials
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ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. - A Florida deputy has been fired and arrested after he was found with several videos of children engaging in sexual acts on his Snapchat account, according to the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office.
Blake Gruny was arrested Friday and charged with six counts of possession of child sex abuse material, six counts of transmission of child sex abuse material and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device, according to a statement from the sheriff's office.
Gruny was terminated after eight years as a member of the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office, a spokesperson for the sheriff's office said in a statement. According to a Facebook post from 2019, Gruny was a member of the K-9 patrol team.
"Protecting children from exploitation is a priority for SJSO, and offenders will be held accountable regardless of occupation or status," the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said in a statement.
On Oct. 4, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office Crimes Against Children Unit received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding the upload of child sex abuse material to an electronic service provider, according to a statement.
The investigation revealed several videos on a Snapchat account associated with Gruny's personal information, according to an arrest affidavit.
The videos depicted young children engaging in sexual acts, including a juvenile female undressing, masturbating and performing oral sex on an adult male, according to the affidavit.
"I'm twelve years old and I want you to (expletive) me," one of the girls said in a video, according to the affidavit.
Photo: St. Johns County Sheriffs Office/Facebook
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The affidavit also said the aforementioned videos were allegedly sent from Gruny's Snapchat account to another user with the message, "You going to keep showing me how hard you are."
The investigation remains active and evidence is still being examined, the St. Johns County Sheriff's Office said.