OCALA, FL (352today.com) – A 17-year-old from Ocala has been arrested by the Marion County Sheriff’s Office and charged with producing and possessing child sexual abuse material (CASM).
According to an MCSO announcement, the Ocala Police Department received a tip in August 2026 that Angel Castro had uploaded CASM to the social media platform Snapchat. The subsequent investigation found that Castro had uploaded the file from his home, which is in MCSO jurisdiction, so the case was handed off.
Detective Henrik Osthed of MCSO’s Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) department continued the investigation. A search warrant for Castro’s Snapchat records revealed “hundreds of self-produced files of himself engaging in disturbing sexual activity,” according to the announcement.
“In the videos he created, Castro repeatedly identified himself, asked to be exposed, masturbated, and described in detail the heinous sexual acts he wished to perform on the infants and young boys in the CSAM he was viewing. Through further investigation, Detective Osthed encountered a Homeland Security Special Agent, who had located numerous files Castro produced on the Signal application. In these files, Castro identifies himself, discloses that he is a pedophile, and states that he wants to kidnap babies to sexually abuse,” the announcement continued.
Castro was arrested on Friday, October 9, 2026, and transported to the Department of Juvenile Justice (DJJ), but was more recently direct filed into the Marion County Jail, where he is being held without bond.
Authorities believe there may be live victims, and ask anyone with information to call 352-351-4710.
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