PALMETTO, Fla. — A Manatee County man accused of luring a 5-year-old girl to his home during a neighborhood birthday party and sexually battering her faces additional charges as seven more victims have come forward.
Christopher Thompson, 44, of Palmetto, was originally arrested in late April. He was accused of forcing a young girl to watch sexual material that involved a child and adult man. The sheriff's office said they were notified by the victim's parents the day the alleged assault took place.
Authorities said the victim was attending her friend's birthday party when Thompson lured her across the street to his home. After the alleged battery, the sheriff's office said Thompson told the girl not to say anything and went back to the party.
When detectives served a search warrant on Thompson's home, they found images that led them to believe he has committed lewd acts on multiple young girls. The sheriff's office said detectives removed a "significant" number of electronics on which they found child pornography.
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Since then, a search of electronic records by detectives has found a child porn collection, self-made child porn, and evidence of self-made video voyeurism. Manatee County detectives said information and other evidence from his immediate family helped identify additional victims, including one in Alabama.
Thompson faces a multitude of charges including capital sexual battery, lewd and lascivious molestation, sexual abuse, video voyeurism, exposing minors to harmful images, production, and possession of child pornography.
As of Tuesday, the Manatee County Sheriff’s said Thompson faces charges for crimes involving six of the eight known victims. Detectives said they are still processing electronic evidence and expect more charges to be filed.
Anyone with information about Thompson or who may have been victimized is asked to contact the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office at (941) 747-3011.
