A Gainesville man was arrested by police Tuesday after he was accused of possessing and distributing child pornography on a messaging app popular among children.
Daniel Campbell, 45, was charged Sept. 28 with 12 counts of possession and two counts of distribution of child pornography on Kik Messenger. The app has long been used by child predators despite efforts to bolster security.
Over 4,000 images of sexually abused children were found on Campbell’s phone, a Gainesville Police Department news release read.
Campbell is being held at the Alachua County Jail on a bond of $1.4 million.
GPD Internet Crimes Against Children Division received an online tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children on March 2 and another on Aug. 5 of Campbell sharing files of child sexual abuse, the release read.
As of Thursday, it is unknown where Campbell received the photos and videos or if he was a part of a larger sex trafficking ring.
“He was charged with two counts of distribution — he’s not just having them for purposes of himself,” GPD spokesperson Graham Glover said. “These types of arrests oftentimes lead to further investigations and further arrests.”
A search warrant was issued on Sept. 22 to the internet-related child crime division and GPD’s SWAT team to Campbell’s home. No evidence was found after an initial search of his phone, and Campbell was not arrested until six days later after digital forensic evidence found photos of sexually abused children.
“All of us just need to be aware of how social media platforms can take advantage of and exploit people of all ages,” Glover said. “All of us should just always be conscious of that.”
Campbell admitted to creating two Kik Messenger accounts, dickhead4life44 and aslicker4life, where he sent 64 videos and eight images of children being sexually abused, the arrest report read. He told police he enjoyed the content since it took him down “memory lane” to when he had his first sexual experience as a 7-year-old.
Campbell has no criminal history according to court records.
GPD encourages parents to be engaged with their children, especially if they are on social media. Glover said this is a nationwide problem, but GPD having it’s own division dedicated to internet-related child crime speaks to the need to fight child sexual abuse in Gainesville.
Contact Isabella at idouglas@alligator.org. Follow her on Twitter @Ad_Scribendum.
Isabella Douglas is a fourth-year journalism major and the Fall 2023 editor-in-chief for The Alligator. She has previously worked as the digital managing editor, metro editor, criminal justice reporter and as a news assistant. When she isn't reporting, she can be found reorganizing her bookshelf and adding books to her ever-growing TBR.
