Life in prison was ordered Monday for a man convicted last month of 25 counts of Possession of Sexual Performance of a Child, State Attorney Larry Basford announced.
Arthur O. Sauls, 71, was found guilty of all charges Feb. 27 after Bay County Chief Prosecutor Mark Graham presented evidence and witnesses proving the defendant was in possession of child porn, some involving very young children. Additionally, jurors agreed that Graham proved that more than 10 of the images contained either a child under the age of 5, a child involved in sadomasochistic acts, or sexual battery. That enhanced the crimes to Second-Degree Felonies with a stiffer penalty.
Circuit Court Judge Timothy Register Monday ordered Sauls to serve Life on each charge, with the sentences running concurrently, or at the same time. The defendant was also designated a Sexual Offender.
RELATED NEWS: Sauls guilty of 25 child porn charges
RELATED NEWS: 20-year-sentence for man who ran over and killed child, then fled
FACEBOOK: Follow us on Facebook for immediate updates and press releases
The Bay County Sheriff’s Office investigation began in May, 2023, when Inv. Jacob Roberts received information the defendant was in possession of child pornography and ultimately traveled to the defendant’s Harrison Avenue apartment. The defendant gave deputies his phone, admitting the pictures on it were his.
“They found multiple images and searches for websites that Inv. Roberts knew to be related to child pornography,” Graham said at trial. “They found pornographic images of juveniles, and when we say juveniles in this case, we are talking about some children under 5 years of age.“
Basford again thanked the BCSO for its work on the case.
For more information, contact Mike Cazalas at mike.cazalas@sa14.fl.gov, or call 850-381-7454.