A 37-year-old Sanford man has been arrested on 100 counts of possessing real and virtual child pornography, including images generated by artificial intelligence, following a Florida Department of Law Enforcement investigation. Blake Edward McKinniss faces 53 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and 46 counts related to AI-generated child pornography, plus one count of possession of a childlike sex doll. The arrest was announced by Attorney General James Uthmeier during a news conference in Orlando.
“This depraved individual that was probably just days away or moments away from trying to access real children,” Uthmeier said during the news conference. McKinniss graduated from the University of Central Florida, had a successful career as a digital analyst at a central Florida company, and owned a home in a gated community across the street from an elementary school and a public park. If convicted on all charges, McKinniss could face more than 1,000 years in prison.
“They entered into a house of horrors where this individual had decorated with little girls’ underwear, toys, a room dedicated for a little girl, and ultimately found thousands of files of both actual child pornography as well as AI child pornography,” Uthmeier said. Assistant statewide prosecutor Lauren Day described one bedroom as having “pink walls, pink curtains, my little pony posters, pink bedding, doll toys, princess wands, plastic feathers, tiaras, and unicorn stuffies.” McKinniss is not married, has no children, and lives alone.
The investigation began on Jan. 27, 2026, after FDLE received more than 70 cyber tips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating someone was uploading, viewing, and storing explicit images involving minors. FDLE’s Cybercrime Task Force executed a search warrant at McKinniss’ residence on March 9, 2026, seizing multiple electronic devices. Agents found a desktop tower computer in McKinniss’ bedroom and discovered at least 10 images depicting child sexual abuse material during a preliminary forensic review.
“I appreciate the efforts of the men and women who played a role in bringing this individual to justice. He can no longer harm any individual in our community,” said Sanford Police Department Deputy Chief Trekelle Perkins. Uthmeier said McKinniss’s arrest marks more than 1,400 child predators arrested since he was appointed by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The attorney general is running in this year’s elections to win a four-year term.
The news conference took a political turn when Uthmeier referenced HB 45, a bill sponsored by Republican Rep. Rachel Plakon to further restrict where sex offenders can live. “We are passing laws to keep predators away from our children at pools, parks and schools,” Plakon said. Uthmeier criticized Democratic State Rep. Anna Eskamani for voting against the measure, saying “I don’t know who in their right mind would vote against restrictions on child predators. So shame on her for taking that position.”
Eskamani defended her vote, telling WESH 2 News she opposed the measure based on Republicans’ own bill analysis, which said the “homeless [population] number will likely increase if this bill takes effect.” “It does nothing to actually make communities more safe. And it will lead to more homeless offenders living on our streets,” Eskamani said. The bill is similar to SB 212, which passed both the House and Senate and is headed to the governor’s desk.
Eileen Hosken, who lives near McKinniss, recalled seeing an officer carry a computer tower from the home. “There are younger children around in this community, and obviously they wouldn’t be safe with someone like him,” Hosken said. McKinniss appeared before a judge on March 10, asking if he could have his phone to get contact numbers to call people, including his mother.
McKinniss is being held without bond in the Seminole County Jail and will be due for arraignment next month. Officials said it is possible more files are on the computer, which could lead to additional charges.