DeLand man charged with 50 counts of child pornography

DeLand resident Christian Petri, 34, has been arrested and charged with 50 counts of possession of child pornography, the Volusia Sheriff’s Office announced late last week. Petri has been in custody at the Volusia County Branch Jail since Thursday. According to the VSO report, the agency was investigating a tip sent to them by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The VSO Child Exploitation Unit took on the case, which would prove to be particularly gruesome in nature. A search warrant led Volusia Sheriff’s Office detectives to Petri’s electronic devices, which allegedly contained sexually explicit videos and photographs of boys and girls ranging in age from two to 13. The material apparently depicted the explicit sexual abuse of the victims. The VSO believes Petri downloaded the content from another source. A warrant was issued for Petri’s arrest, and he turned himself in to the Volusia County Branch Jail on Thursday. It is his first recorded arrest in Volusia County. Petri’s bail was set at a staggering $1,250,000, which works out to $25,000 for each charge. The Volusia Sheriff’s Office urges anyone with information regarding possible sexual abuse of a child to contact the VSO Child Exploitation Unit by calling (386) 323-3574.