ORANGE PARK, Fla. — A Clay County softball coach pleaded guilty on Friday to producing and attempting to produce child pornography.
>>> STREAM ACTION NEWS JAX LIVE <<<
U.S. Attorney Roger B. Handberg announced that 43-year-old Andrew Lynn Overheul of Orange Park has pleaded guilty to two counts of production and attempted production of child sexual abuse material.
Overheul faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years with up to 60 years in federal prison. A sentencing date has not been scheduled yet.
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
According to the plea agreement, on Sept. 17, 2022, the parent of a 12-year-old child contacted the Clay County Sheriff’s Office to report a complaint the child had made about finding a cellular phone recording her changing clothes and using the shower in the bathroom at her softball coach’s house.
CCSO responded that same night and interviewed the parent and child. They said that they were at Overheul’s home in Orange Park on Sept. 17 for a softball team family party, as Overheul was the child’s softball coach. The children decided to have an impromptu group sleepover at Overheul’s home.
Overheul told the victim that she could take a shower in the master bathroom shower, as another girl was showering in the other bathroom at that time. The victim spotted a phone on the bathroom countertop propped up between two boxes, with the camera facing the shower.
Upon closer inspection, the victim discovered the phone was actively recording and immediately grabbed the phone and stopped the recording. She reviewed the video and discovered that it depicted her, so she deleted the video, placed the phone back on the counter and called her parents to pick her up from Overheul’s residence.
Read: 15 people displaced in Northside apartment fire, JFRD says
One of the girl′s parents sent a text message to Overheul at 8:17 p.m. indicating they were on their way to pick their daughter up and would tell Overheul about it when they got there.
At 8:44 p.m., Overheul responded by text message, “Hey we talked with the girls. No one is admitting to playing a joke. The others that were in that bathroom said they saw my phone charging but no other phones.”
After interviewing the parents and child, CCSO detectives responded to Overheul’s residence in the early morning hours of Sept. 18 and interviewed Overheul, during which he acknowledged he was the only person that used or had access and control of his cell phone. He further acknowledged that his cellphone was in the bathroom and claimed he had placed it there to charge.
Read: Clay County softball coach facing federal charges for allegedly producing child pornography
Agents obtained a federal search warrant for Overheul’s cellphone and a forensic review of the device found two photos of several minor females on the softball team wearing swimsuits and sitting on the floor in Overheul’s living room, dated Sept. 17, 2022, with a time stamp of 5:36 p.m.
Forensics also showed that, at 7:38 p.m., a search for “canon remote app” was conducted on the cellphone, and then the Canon Camera Connect app was installed a few seconds later. This app allows a camera to record remotely with live-view imaging of the camera from a smartphone.
Forensics also revealed a search on the evening of Sept. 17, in the Google Play Store on Overheul’s cellphone for two applications, which were downloaded and can be used to delete information from a person’s phone.
Read: Takeoff’s mother suing venue where Migos rapper was shot, killed
On Nov. 18, 2022, Homeland Security Investigations executed a federal search warrant at Overheul’s residence and seized numerous electronic devices. Agents discovered hundreds of photos and videos of minors that appeared to have been taken without their consent.
This case was investigated by CCSO and HSI. It is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ashley Washington.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
