Sex Offender Faces 75 Criminal Charges: Hillsborough Sheriff

BLOOMINGDALE — RIVERVIEW, FL — A registered sex offender who was arrested in an online chat operation that targeted sexual predators faces 75 child pornography charges, said Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office.

The suspect, Christian Ramirez, 37, of Plant City, drove to an undisclosed location in Riverview on Oct. 1 when he thought he was driving to have sex with a 14-year-old boy that was actually an undercover detective he had been chatting with online, authorities said.

Ramirez was one of two registered sex offenders arrested on use of computer services or device to solicit certain illegal acts and transmission of harmful material to a minor charges, police said.

After his arrest, detectives obtained a search warrant for Ramirez's cellphone.

A total of 75 videos and pictures of child pornography were located on his phone, investigators said.

Eight of the images depicted boys and girls younger than 5 engaging in sexual acts, detectives said.

Ramirez, who had previously bonded out of jail, was located and arrested on Tuesday morning, the sheriff's office said.

Ramirez faces an additional 75 charges for possession of child pornography, according to deputies.

"As a father, I am disgusted by Christian Ramirez's actions. He is a perfect example of why we do these operations," Sheriff Chad Chronister said. "Some of these men repeatedly go online to prey on our children. This time, they just got caught. As parents, it is critical that we know who our children are talking to online and what websites they are visiting."