Report by parents leads to long prison sentence for former Florida librarian

Florida – A former Putnam County librarian has been sentenced to more than 20 years in federal prison after pleading guilty to charges related to the production and distribution of child sex abuse images, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Florida has announced.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO), Chief U.S. District Judge Timothy J. Corrigan has sentenced Kurt Batucan Sheldon, 31, of Interlachen, to 21 years and 10 months in prison. Sheldon was also ordered to serve a life term of supervised release and register as a sex offender, the USAO said.

In addition, the court ordered $13,000 in restitution for the victims of Sheldon’s offenses.

Sheldon was arrested on September 4, 2020, and ordered detained during the proceedings in the case. He had pleaded guilty on February 17, 2022, the USAO said.

According to court documents, this case was initiated when the parents of a minor female child made a report to the Clay County Sheriff’s Office about sexually explicit messages allegedly being sent by an adult to their child on two different social media applications.

The adult allegedly referred to himself as “K t,” and used the username “tacticfallout.”

“K t” originally began communicating with the minor child on a social media application and represented himself as a male, between 25-29 years of age, the USAO said. The minor child reportedly told him that she was 15 years old. “K t” told the minor child that his name was “Kurt” and that he lived in Putnam.

The child reportedly told “Kurt” she lived with her parents and was in school. Their conversation later moved to another social media platform, over which “K t” allegedly requested child sex abuse material—images and videos—from the minor child and directed the child on how to take the images and how to pose, the USAO said.

According to the USAO, approximately 50 images and/or videos were sent to “K t” at his direction.

Further investigation by the Clay County Sheriff’s Office and Homeland Security Investigations reportedly identified Sheldon’s residence as the source of the IP address used by the account, “tacticfallout,” and for other associated accounts.

On September 4, 2020, HSI agents and deputies and detectives from the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office executed a search warrant at Sheldon’s residence. Sheldon is alleged to have admitted there would be child sexual abuse material on his electronic devices and that he was attracted to children. He also reportedly admitted to asking girls he met via online applications, who he knew to be underage, to send him nude photographs, including a 15-year-old female.

Forensic examination of his devices identified more than a thousand images and several hundred videos depicting child sex abuse, the USAO said.

During the same investigation, HSI said it also learned of a 2016 St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office investigation involving Sheldon’s IP address and residential address engaging in peer-to-peer file sharing of child sex abuse materials. Law enforcement accessed and downloaded files that contained child sex abuse materials that were later reportedly connected to Sheldon. Sheldon admitted his involvement, the USAO said.

“Men who use the anonymity of the internet to prey on the vulnerability and innocence of children are a special kind of evil,” said HSI Jacksonville Assistant Special Agent in Charge K. Jim Phillips.

“Through our partnerships with the Clay County, Putnam County, and St. Johns County Sheriff’s Offices, we will remain vigilant in targeting these dark web predators, bringing them to justice to face their crimes.”

This case was investigated by Clay County Sheriff’s Office, the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office, the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office, and Homeland Security Investigations. It was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Ashley Washington.