Tallahassee man arrested for possession of child pornography

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Brandon Joseph Hagan, 18, of Tallahassee, was arrested today for possession of child pornography, following the execution of a search warrant by the North Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which consists of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Office of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Florida Department of Law Enforcement, Leon County Sheriffs Office and the Tallahassee Police Department.

The Tallahassee Police Department began the investigation and with the assistance of the North Florida ICAC Task Force developed probable cause to arrest Hagan for possession of child pornography. The pornography was found on Hagan's personal computer during the execution of the search warrant.

"Through partnerships with state, local and other federal law enforcement agencies, ICE will continue to vigorously investigate child exploitation cases," said Susan McCormick, special agent in charge of ICE HSI in Tampa, Fla.

The investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide ICE initiative to identify, investigate and arrest those who prey on children, including human traffickers, international sex tourists, Internet pornographers, and foreign-national predators whose crimes make them deportable.

ICE encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423. This hotline is staffed around the clock by investigators.

Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, at 1-800-843-5678 or http://www.cybertipline.com/.