On September 26, 2023, 39-year-old Justin Ryan Culmo of 301 Park Boulevard in Oldsmar was booked into the Pinellas County Jail on charges of the production and distribution of child pornography.
His arrest and detention by the US Marshal Service were based on an investigation by the United States Department of Homeland Security, culminating in a Federal raid on his home in the quiet Oldsmar community he shared with his family.
Based on the criminal complaint, the extensive investigation linked Culmo to an online community of individuals who regularly produce, distribute, and receive child sexual abuse material via the “dark web.” The dark web exists on the internet but requires specific software and configurations. It is part of the web that is not indexed by web search engines and is known to contain illegal activities such as hacking, illegal pornography, and financing and fraud.
There were two main websites examined during the investigation. A foreign law enforcement agency seized one of those sites in October 2015. The second site was seized in September 2017.
The Tampa office of Homeland Security was notified in July 2023 that facial recognition technology linked some of the material to the screennames ‘Avalanche’ and ‘TheRealAvalanche.’ One of the victims’ identities was confirmed by her parents, who believed the photos were taken between 2011 and 2014. The victim’s father remembered his work friend, Culmo, coming over while he was raking leaves in the backyard. The father entered the home and found Culmo inside the home. The encounterer found Culmo beside his daughter in the bedroom. According to the complaint, Culmo became very quiet when confronted, did not respond, and left the house.
There were child sexual abuse allegations against Culmo based on Child Protective Services reports from the Pasco County Sheriff’s Office. In 2014, a child being babysat by Culmo told her mother that Culmo had sexually touched her.
In another report in 2019, another child reported that Culmo touched her private parts and took a picture.
Many additional posts from the websites were obtained, which contained highly graphic descriptions of his actions. He spoke in detail about spycams and how to ensure your data is encrypted. He guided other site members on how to evade police investigative tactics.
The Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office became involved in July 2017 after an incident involving Culmo’s former employer. Culmo was required to surrender an SD card owned by the company that was found in his shoe. A later inspection of the SD card revealed a folder named “Jersey Ave,” containing 1,155 photographs of young girls coming and going from Mann Middle School on Jersey Avenue in Brandon, Florida. Culmo lived across the street from the school when the photos were taken.
Culmo reportedly admitted to using the screen names and producing the child abuse series of photos. Some images were produced very recently, during the Weekend of September 22-25, 2023. Agents found 11 pairs of female child underwear in a locked drawer and five spy cameras.
According to a website operated by Culmo, he has been a resident of Oldsmar for approximately 14 years. Before that, he resided in Safety Harbor. He received his Mechanical Engineering degree from UCF and is described as an avid photographer. According to his LinkedIn page, he works as a Plant engineer at an automotive, aerospace, and medical parts manufacturer in Pinellas County.
Culmo was very vocal in his opposition involving a vote by the Oldsmar City Council in 2022 that allowed developers to build a large apartment complex next to city hall.
He remains in the Pinellas County Jail and is held with no bond.
The investigation continues, and the existence of additional victims is possible