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Collier County Man Convicted on Dozens of Felony Counts in Snapchat Child Predator Case

A Collier County jury convicted a Naples man on dozens of felony charges in a child sexual abuse materials case involving Snapchat and Kik Messenger, Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier announced.

Chandler Christian Jones, 30, was found guilty of multiple counts, including possession of child sexual abuse materials, soliciting a child or a person believed to be a child for unlawful sexual conduct using computer services or devices, and transmission of child pornography by electronic device or equipment.

“Snap continues to fight us in court over their dangerous app while we keep arresting and prosecuting predators who use Snapchat to trade in vile material,” Uthmeier said. “I want to thank the proactive policing by FDLE and Deputy Statewide Prosecutor Julie Chaikin and Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Agnieszka Thomas who built this strong case and secured justice. It’s past time for Snap to fix its dangerous app, protect kids, and pay for these unconscionable harms!”

According to the Attorney General’s Office, the investigation began in 2022 after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received multiple cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children through the Internet Crimes Against Children South Task Force.

The tips involved uploads of child sexual abuse material to Kik Messenger and Snapchat from IP addresses traced to Jones’ Naples residence and accounts connected to him, officials said.

On July 19, 2022, FDLE agents, assisted by the Collier County Sheriff’s Office, executed a search warrant at Jones’ home. Investigators recovered multiple electronic devices, including an iPhone found on Jones. A forensic examination later confirmed the presence of numerous child sexual abuse material files, according to the Attorney General’s Office.

The jury returned guilty verdicts on all counts as charged. Many of the possession counts were enhanced to second-degree felonies because prosecutors said Jones possessed 10 or more images with aggravating factors involving very young children.

Jones faces up to 1,020 years in the Florida Department of Corrections. His lowest permissible sentence is 86 years. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 19, 2026.

The case was prosecuted in Florida’s Twentieth Judicial Circuit.

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