News

2 arrested after phone with child porn images found in Walmart

POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A forgotten cell phone found in a shopping cart by a man and his fiancée in a Florida Walmart led to the arrest of two people for child porn.

David Widner said his fiancée found the phone at a Walmart in North Fort Myers.

"She pulled out one of the shopping carts, and the phone was in that little child's seat they have on it," said Widner.

The couple agreed to meet the owner of the phone outside the Walmart where it was found.

When they went through the pictures to see what the owner looked like, they found several pornographic images of a young girl.

"The further down we scrolled, the worse it got. It was like 1,500-something images on the phone," said Widner.

Widner said he had to do something.

"Some people were just like, 'Oh, turn it in to customer service. It's not your problem.' and I'm like, 'Yes it is my problem! This is a little girl! She can't even defend herself,'" said Widner.

Widner and his fiancée called the police, who then traced the phone back to Alan Johnson, a registered sex offender, and his girlfriend Jennifer Sparks.

Detectives searched the suspects' Fort Myers home and found even more child pornography inside.

Both were arrested, accused of molesting the 4-year-old girl.

Police also found the little girl in Polk County.

The child's mother is under investigation too. Deputies believe she knew she was giving her child to a registered sex offender.

Investigators said there could be even more arrests in this case.

The Department of Children and Families now has custody of the girl and her parents are being investigated for possibly loaning her out for sex.