Child Porn Images On Computer Lead To Arrest Of Belleair Man Thursday

BELLEAIR, FL — A 69-year-old Belleair man is behind bars after being accused of possessing child pornography.

Detectives assigned to the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating Michael Hugill after receiving a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that child pornography was being uploaded to a Belleair internet address, according to the sheriff's office.

Detectives were able to trace the account to Hugill and obtained a search warrant for his home on Coe Road. Detectives said they confiscated several electronic devices and found child pornography on at least one of the devices, the sheriff's office said.

When Hugill was interviewed by detectives, he admitted to owning the internet account and saving the images to his computer, detectives said.

He was arrested Thursday and charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography.