Calvin Roy Dutton, Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Material, Illinois 2024

A 60-year-old St. Petersburg man has been charged with possessing over 1,000 images of child sexual abuse material. Calvin Roy Dutton, of St. Petersburg, was arrested on May 31, 2024, after a search warrant was executed at his home.

According to court documents, Dutton mailed a hard drive to a company in Illinois for repairs. When an employee began working on the hard drive, he discovered the disturbing images and contacted law enforcement. An investigation by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and the St. Petersburg Police Department led to Dutton‘s arrest and the filing of a criminal complaint.

The complaint alleges that Dutton admitted to owning the hard drive and copying files from his laptop to it. While a complaint is merely a formal charge, every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The case will be prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ross Roberts. It is part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat child sexual exploitation and abuse.

Project Safe Childhood has been instrumental in locating and prosecuting individuals who sexually exploit children, as well as identifying and rescuing victims. For more information about the initiative, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The case serves as a reminder of the importance of vigilance in combating child exploitation. As law enforcement agencies continue to work to protect vulnerable populations, the public can play a crucial role in reporting suspicious activity.