Michael Glenn Chope Charged in Child Pornography Production

Michael Glenn Chope, 55, of Orange Park, Florida, has been indicted on four counts of production of child pornography, federal prosecutors announced today. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 30 years in federal prison, stacking a potential 120-year sentence if convicted on all charges. Chope is currently in custody, ordered detained pending trial.

The indictment traces Chope’s crimes back to a cyber-tip funneled through the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. On March 13, 2019, Clay County Sheriff’s Office detectives confronted Chope at his home. He admitted to using electronics tied to the investigation and confirmed he was the sole user. Chope further confessed to viewing and storing child pornography on multiple devices inside his residence.

Forensic analysis of seized electronics revealed the horror: numerous images created by Chope showing the sexual abuse and exploitation of a child under his care. The abuse was not fleeting—it spanned from May 2015 to February 2018. The evidence paints a damning picture of premeditated, long-term victimization captured and preserved by the defendant himself.

After questioning, Chope didn’t wait for arrest. He fled Florida, disappearing across state lines. He was apprehended April 3, 2019, in Rowlett, Texas—over 1,000 miles from home. His capture ended a brief but urgent manhunt, underscoring the reach of federal child exploitation task forces.

Originally charged by federal complaint with a single count, the case expanded when a grand jury returned a four-count indictment. Prosecutors Ashley Washington and Kelly Karase of the U.S. Attorney’s Office are leading the case, backed by investigators from the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations.

The case falls under Project Safe Childhood, the Justice Department’s nationwide crackdown on child sexual abuse launched in 2006. The initiative combines federal, state, and local efforts to track, arrest, and prosecute offenders—and to rescue victims. An indictment is not a conviction: Michael Glenn Chope is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.