LAKE WALES, Fla. — A Lake Wales mother and father were arrested on child porn charges on Wednesday, along with possession of meth charges, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. 

  • Jesse Butler, Katie Butler appeared before judge Thursday
  • Search warrant revealed 40 child porn images on woman's phone
  • FDC took their children into custody
  • More Polk County headlines

Deputies said the investigation into the couple began when they received a tip that Jesse Butler, 29, had sent a child porn video of an 8-year-old boy having sex with an adult woman through Facebook Messenger to his wife, Katie Butler, 30, last December.

Detectives conducted a search warrant on the couple's Lake Wales home and said they found 40 child porn images on Katie's cell phone depicting kids in age ranging from 2 to 12 years old. A child porn image was also found on Jesse's cell phone, according to the arrest report.

During the search, detectives said they found baggies containing methamphetamine residue and the couple admitted to smoking the drug.

Polk legal experts said they can’t remember the last time they saw a woman facing child porn charges. According to an arrest affidavit, Katie told deputies that she and Jesse have seen child porn while watching adult porn but did not intentionally seek it out.

Deputies said Jesse admitted that he sent the child porn video to his wife and stated that he was stupid. According to the report, Jesse said he received that video from an unknown KIK (social media app) user and was shocked when he watched it. 

Katie has four children under the age of 8. Jesse is the father of two of those kids.

Deputies said they don’t believe those children were victimized and the Florida Department of Children and Families took them into their custody.

On Thursday, the couple appeared before a judge who gave Katie a $200,000 bond and Jesse a $21,000 bond. The couple told the judge that neither of them have jobs

A public defender was appointed.