Child porn depicting girls as young as 5 found on man’s cell phone

A 40-year-old man with sexually explicit photos and videos of children as young as five has been arrested on multiple child pornography charges after he was caught communicating through Facebook Messenger with multiple girls, including a 12-year-old.

Adam Morris, of Orange City, was arrested on Friday, April 14, by Volusia County Sheriff’s Office deputies on multiple counts of possession and transmission of child pornography.

According to a statement issued by the sheriff’s office, Morris communicated graphic sexual messages to young girls online through Facebook Messenger.

Authorities began investigating Morris this past January after the mother of a 16-year-old victim filed a sex offense complaint with the sheriff’s office. The victim provided screenshots of several inappropriate text messages that Morris had sent the victim through the messaging app.

A search warrant was executed for Morris’s Facebook account and while they were reviewing his messages, police found at least three conversations with juvenile victims, including one who said she was 12.

On Wednesday, April 5, another search warrant was issued for Morris’s home at 1440 E. Minnesota Avenue, Lot D, in Orange City.

Detectives seized Morris’s cell phone and during a forensic examination, they located several videos and photos of sexual exploitation of girls estimated to range in age from 5 to 11 years old.

Law enforcement authorities believe that Morris never manufactured child pornography, but rather, downloaded materials onto his electronic devices that were shared from or with others.

Morris is facing seven counts of possession of a sexual performance by a child, three counts of transmitting harmful material to minors, and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communication device. He faces additional charges from a separate case of one count each of transmitting harmful material and use of a two-way communications device to commit a felony.

Due to the nature of the materials found, the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office is asking the public to share any pertinent information about Morris with the VSO Child Exploitation Unit at 386-323-3574.