Man Arrested for Possessing Child Sex Material Discovered on Cruise

Miami, FL - An Atlanta man disembarking from a cruise in Miami has been arrested after customs agents discovered child sex abuse material on his cellphone.

The suspect, identified as 47-year-old Michael Fanning, had been en route to Georgia but was taken into custody by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents at PortMiami's Virgin Voyages cruise terminal.

According to the Miami-Dade Police Department, Fanning's arrest was prompted by CBP agents who conducted a search of his phone.

Initially, three videos depicting child sex abuse were discovered, and subsequent searches revealed an alarming total of five such videos on his device.

The report does not clarify the reason behind the CBP agents' decision to perform the search, however, border agents possess the legal authority to conduct random and warrantless searches of individuals entering the country.

The content of the discovered videos included scenes involving the rape of boys as young as 8 years old.

The videos were stored in a folder labeled "Y," which Fanning reportedly claimed represented "young."

Fanning was taken into custody and transported to the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center where he remains in custody with a bond set at $25,000.

He's facing five child pornography charges.


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