Tampa Republic

Orlando, FL – United States Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that Carl Vecchione, 62, of Oviedo, has pleaded guilty to receipt and possession of child sexual abuse material. Vecchione faces a minimum mandatory penalty of five years, up to 40 years in federal prison. Sentencing is scheduled for November 19, 2024.

According to the plea agreement, on June 9, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) executed a search warrant at Vecchione’s residence after identifying the home’s Internet Protocol (IP) address as sharing child sexual abuse material online. HSI located more than 900 images and videos of child sexual abuse material on Vecchione’s laptop.

This case was investigated by Homeland Security Investigations and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Stephanie A. McNeff.

The case was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. Led by the United States Attorney’s Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.