Google Cyber Tip Leads to Arrest of Margate Man on Child Pornography Charges

Nicholas Vincenzo Elias {BSO}

By Ryan Yousefi

A Google cyber tip led to the arrest of a Margate man now charged with 11 felony charges of possessing child pornography.

On July 20, Google reported to the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) that an individual, later identified as Nicholas Vincenzo Elias, 21, of Margate, had violated their terms of use by uploading explicit images, including a large amount of child pornography. 

The information provided to NCMEC contained details about the contents of Elias’s account and his location, specifically, an address near the 6400 block of Northwest 21st Court. 

According to records, NCMEC referred the case to the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force, which began an investigation into Elias, who triggered the cyber tip by allegedly uploading five files containing apparent explicit content featuring children. 

In response to the Cybertip, law enforcement authorities obtained a search warrant to access the contents of Elias’s Google Drive, and eventually, during the investigation, additional personal information, including Google Pay details, was uncovered, linking Elias to the Google account. 

The Google Drive contained 178 unique files, with approximately 60 considered child pornography content under Florida State Statutes. Additionally, about 27 files were categorized as Age Difficult, Erotica, or indicative of child sexual exploitation.

On August 30, the Margate Police Department’s Special Response Team and Criminal Investigations Division executed the search warrant. During the search of Elias’s residence, he agreed to speak to law enforcement and was shown still images from the contents of the Google Drive warrant. 

According to the arrest report, one of the images depicted a white male masturbating on a bed. Elis positively identified himself as the individual in the image. They confirmed that the location was his bedroom within the residence, further linking the contents of the Google Drive to him.

Elias subsequently admitted to viewing several explicit materials and recognized certain photos. He explained that these materials were once located on a personal laptop within his residence.

A thorough examination of all of Elias’s devices revealed many images, including non-pertinent images, comparison images, child-exploitative images, age-difficult material, and explicit material.

On October 18, law enforcement took Elias into custody near the 5500 West Sample Road and transferred him to the Broward County Main Jail.

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Author Profile

Ryan Yousefi

Ryan Yousefi has lived in Coral Springs for over 30 years. He has worked as a writer for multiples outlets over the years, including the Miami New Times where he has covered sports and culture since 2013. He holds a Bachelor's Degree and a Master's Degree in Business Healthcare Management from Western Governors University.

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