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County Park Ranger Pleads Guilty To Child Porn Charge

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By THOMAS W.  KRAUSE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: December 20, 2007

TAMPA - A Hillsborough County park ranger pleaded guilty in federal court today to possessing child pornography.

Thomas Goins, 64, faces up to 10 years in prison and up to a $250,000. A date for his sentencing has not been set.

Thomas Goins, 64

Goins was hired by the county in 1982. Most recently, he served as the manager of the 160-acre Lithia Springs Park, known for its freshwater spring, campgrounds and picnic areas. County parks spokesman John Brill said Goins remains suspended without pay while his case moves through the courts.

He is being held without bail at the Orient Road Jail.

According to court documents, a county employee told the Hillsborough County Professional Responsibility Department that Goins had child pornography on his work laptop computer. A county investigator questioned Goins, who acknowledged he had looked at child pornography on his home computer.

The investigator contacted the FBI.

At Goins' home, he answered the FBI agent's questions and allowed a search, court records show. An external hard drive was found hidden in his computer tower, records show.

On the hard drive, investigators found a file that contained pornographic images involving children as young as 5 years old, records show. Other hard drives found in Goins home included pornographic images the involved children from infancy to teenage years, records show.

Agents seized the computer and hard drives.

In October, after a federal grand jury indicted Goins, agents returned to his home to arrest him. Records show that Goins had purchased a new computer and new external hard drives so he could "get back online."

This afternoon, Goins pleaded guilty to possessing the child pornography found in August, U.S. Magistrate Judge Thomas Wilson said.

Reporter Thomas W. Krause can be reached at (813) 259-7698 or tkrause@tampatrib.com.

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