DEFUNIAK SPRINGS, Fla. — A registered sex offender was arrested yesterday in DeFuniak Springs and charged with four counts of possession of child pornography following an investigation by the Walton County Sheriff’s Office Cyber Crimes Unit, the Walton County Sheriff’s Office (WCSO) announced today.
According to the WCSO, On March 23, 2022, its Cyber Crimes Unit received a tip from The National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) regarding four files of potential child pornography being stored on an online storage platform.
A search warrant was executed on a residence on South 19th Street in DeFuniak Springs on May 10.
During the search of the residence, the suspect was identified as registered sex offender Eric Michael Soles, 43, who admitted to being sexually attracted to female children between the ages of 10 and 12, the WCSO said.
Numerous electronic devices were reportedly seized and brought to the Walton County Sheriff’s Office for forensic processing.
The Cyber Crimes Unit allegedly found Soles to be in possession of sexually explicit videos involving children under the age of 13.
Soles was arrested by WCSO investigators on May 23. He was subsequently charged with four counts of possession of child pornography.
He is being held at the Walton County Jail without bond.
The DeFuniak Springs Police Department and Homeland Security assisted the WCSO in the investigation.
