Ocala man arrested for possession of child pornography and bestiality videos

ORLANDO, Fla. - A 25-year-old Marion County man was arrested Tuesday after deputies say they found multiple videos depicting child sexual abuse material and bestiality on his cell phone.

What we know:

Marion County Sheriff's Office detectives with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) unit began investigating Za’Mond Shanard Smith, of Ocala, after receiving 11 tips between January 26 and April 28, 2025, from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. 

The tips indicated someone had uploaded child sexual abuse material (CSAM) to multiple online platforms from an address in Marion County.

An ICAC detective interviewed Smith on July 1, during which Smith admitted to seeking out and sharing CSAM using his social media account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter. He told investigators that when his accounts were banned, he would create new ones to continue accessing and distributing the content.

A digital forensic extraction of Smith’s phone revealed nine videos of child pornography and four additional videos depicting bestiality, authorities said.

Smith was charged with 10 counts of possession of child pornography, four counts of possession of material depicting sexual activity with animals, and one count of using a two-way communication device to facilitate a felony, according to the Marion County Sheriff’s Office.

He was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail. 

The investigation remains ongoing.