Local

Lake Co. play place employee jailed on child porn charges

LAKE COUNTY, Fla. — A 20-year-old Lake County man who works at a play place for kids is in jail on child pornography charges Thursday night.

Deputies said Aaron Murray was emailing child porn from his home in a Clermont subdivision to a child in Dallas. The child's parents called local police who contacted the Lake County deputies.

Murray has worked at his family-owned party play place business for months.

Lake County parents were almost lost for words.

"It pretty much disgusts me," parent Shawna Dehart said.

That anger grew when they found out Murray is related to the owners of Jump N Joey's Play and Party Zone.

"Oh, it makes my heart race to hear you tell me that. It's absolutely horrific," parent Laura Smith said. "That he works with children in a place where parents aren't necessarily completely observing them, assuming they're in a safe place, it's awful."

Detectives had been on to Murray for some time and said he would go online and pose as a 15-year-old named Tyler.

At Murray's home, investigators checked his iPod and allegedly came across the email associated with Tyler and more than 100 pornographic images of children.

Detectives also believe Murray chatted online with at least two children in Lake County. They said they don't know if he's ever tried to lure any of them.

"Of course we're concerned, and we're asking if any parents in the area have had any contact with him, especially if their kids have had any internet contact with them, to please give us a call," said Sgt. Jim Vachon with the Lake County Sheriff's Office.

No one from the play place business wanted to comment.

Murray remains in Lake County jail on $518,000 bond.