St. Augustine, Fla. — The St. John’s Sheriff’s Office has announced the arrest of Dr. Tony Anastasios Tsitos, 88, of St. Augustine following a months-long child pornography investigation.
In Oct. 2020, detectives with SJSO Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Unit began an investigation regarding an unknown suspect using the internet to download, receive, trade or transmit child sexual abuse imagery from a specified IP address, within St. Johns County.
An Internet Crimes detective traced the cyber information back to a particular residence in St. Johns County and secured a search warrant for the home.
Detectives with the Special Investigations Unit along with investigators with the St. Augustine Police Department executed the search warrant at the home and seized multiple electronic devices that were suspected to be involved in the investigation.
Following forensic downloads of a computer, thousands of sexual abuse images involving children were discovered. Some images depicted children as young as 12 months old in the various stages of abuse.
Based on this information, charges were filed and a warrant was obtained for the suspect, identified as Dr. Tony Anastasios Tsitos, 88, of St. Augustine, Fla. on 15 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. It was learned Dr. Tsitos had traveled to Ft. Lauderdale following the execution of the search warrant, according to an official statement from SJSO.
After learning of the nationwide order for his arrest Tsitos turned himself into Broward County authorities.
Tsitos was booked into the Broward County Jail where he was being held prior to transport back to St. Johns County on $150,000 bond.
Cox Media Group
