ST. PETERSBURG, FL — A digital forensic investigation into illegal downloads has led to the arrest of a 77-year-old Pinellas County man on nearly 20 felony counts. Gregory Arendt was taken into custody on Tuesday, March 3, 2026, by agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE).
Arendt is facing charges related to both child sexual abuse material (CSAM) and pornographic imagery involving animals.
The Investigation: Tracking the Torrent
The case against Arendt began in October 2025, when FDLE agents flagged an IP address involved in downloading a torrent file containing child sexual abuse material. Torrenting, a peer-to-peer file-sharing method, often leaves a digital footprint that law enforcement can trace back to a specific physical location.
- The Trace: Investigators successfully linked the suspicious IP address to Arendt’s residence in St. Petersburg.
- The Raid: On December 19, 2025, agents executed a search warrant at the home, seizing multiple computers and electronic storage devices.
- The Discovery: An exhaustive forensic analysis of the seized hardware uncovered dozens of illegal files. Beyond the child exploitation material, agents discovered numerous images depicting bestiality (sexual contact with animals).
Prosecution and Charges
Arendt was booked into the Pinellas County Jail with assistance from the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He faces the following counts:
- 4 Counts: Possession of Child Sexual Abuse Materials
- 15 Counts: Possession of Pornographic Imagery of Sexual Contact with an Animal
The case is being handled by the Attorney General’s Office of Statewide Prosecution, which typically manages high-level digital crimes and cases spanning multiple jurisdictions.
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