Winter Haven, Florida – A Lakeland man has been charged with sexually abusing two toddler boys (2 years of age), photographing the molestation, and showing adult pornography to two other children.
On Tuesday, September 6, 2016, PCSO detectives filed 132 additional charges against Polk County Jail Inmate James Ballone (DOB 11/18/1962), who was arrested during a July 2016 undercover child pornography investigation and has been in jail since that time.
He was originally charged with 65 counts Possession of Child Pornography, with bond assessed at $15,000 per count. He has an additional 2 counts Capital Sexual Battery (F-C), 6 counts Lewd Molestation (F-L), 5 counts Lewd Exhibition (F-2), 3 counts of Promotion of Sexual Performance (F-2), 115 counts Possession of Child Pornography (F-2), and 1 count Unnatural and Lascivious Act (M-2), filed against him, bringing his total count to 197 felony charges.
The new charges stem from follow-up investigation and forensic analysis on equipment seized from Ballone’s home during “Operation Child Shield III.” Detectives discovered child pornography created by Ballone in his home involving two Polk County children (with whom he had access) who have been positively identified.
Grady Judd will brief the media around 10:30am regarding these new charges.
