Issue link: https://newsleader.uberflip.com/i/348392
Officers with the Sarasota Police Department are warning drivers about a red light camera citation scam. On Wednesday, July 9, a woman received a phone call telling her she had an outstanding red light ticket violation, a news release says. The caller, who did not identify himself, told the woman she had to pay the fine by 5 p.m. to avoid having her driver's license suspended and paying additional fees, the release contin- ues. The caller then told the woman to go to the nearest Walgreens, purchase a Green Dot card and load $87.13 on it. Afterward, she was to call back with the account numbers on the card, the release notes. "The woman contacted the Sarasota Police Department to verify the request after she was suspicious she was being scammed," Sgt. Bryan Graham pointed out in the release. "The Sarasota Police Department will never call drivers asking for personal information or ask for a collection of funds." Anyone with questions regarding a red light camera citation may contact Graham or Officer John Lake at 487-0022, the release says. POLICE WARNING OF RED LIGHT CAMERA CITATION SCAM The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office has arrested a man who allegedly downloaded hundreds of videos and images depicting chil- dren as young as 7 engaged in sexual acts, the office has reported. Computer Forensics Unit detectives inves- tigating Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) determined the IP address for 4036 Crockers Lake Blvd., Apartment 926, Sarasota, was used to download 504 files that were previously identified as child pornography, a news release explains. Detectives then determined that John Dickie, 51, was the sole resident of the home and obtained a search warrant, which was exe- cuted on the morning of July 9, the release notes. When detectives conducted a prelim- inary computer forensic scan, they found 63 child pornography images, the release says. Many of the file titles included the term, "PTHC" for "Pre-Teen HardCore," indicating the children shown were under the age of 13, according to the report. Dickie is charged with 50 counts of Possession: Sexual Performance by a Child. Because at least one of the pornographic images contains sexual battery of a child, it meets the criteria for an enhancement to a second-degree fel- ony, the release points out. MAN CHARGED WITH DOWNLOADING MORE THAN 500 CHILD PORN FILES John Dickie/Contributed photo Sarasota News Leader July 18, 2014 Page 82