A Seminole man was arrested on 10 counts of child pornography possession on Thursday. He is currently being held in the Pinellas County jail on a $1 million bond, according to court record.
- Deputies said Mark Branson, 49, uploaded child porn to Skype in May
- Investigation into Branson began in July
Deputies said they discovered that Mark Branson, 49, uploaded the child porn images to Skype back in May. The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office Crimes Against Children Unit began investigating Branson in July and arrested him at his Seminole condo Thursday morning.
Branson received a $100,000 bond for each of the 10 counts that brought the total bond amount to $1 million. At his first appearance in court, Judge Joseph Bulone determined Branson could afford to hire a private attorney because he owns a condo.
“How much equity do you have in the home?” Bulone asked.
“It’s paid for,” Branson replied.
“Alright, so you have no mortgage whatsoever?” said Bulone.
“No, sir,” Branson said.
“You can afford to hire a lawyer then,” Bulone said.
If Branson does not hire a private attorney or post that $1 million bond before Wednesday, he’ll be brought back before the judge.