(Lake County, FL) Forty-one-year-old Xavier Mendez, of Groveland, was sentenced to 16 years in prison after being found guilty by a jury last month of 12 counts of Possession of Child Pornography. Upon his release, Mendez will be required to register as a Sexual Offender and complete four years of probation.

In July of 2024, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) received a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children indicating an online user had uploaded files containing possible child pornography.

FDLE Special Agent Marsian investigated the lead and learned that a Kik user had utilized the platform to share digital files depicting the sexual exploitation of a child. During the investigation, SA Marsian determined that the account belonged to the defendant, who resided at an address off Prairie Falcon Drive in Groveland, Florida.

The investigation was turned over to the Groveland Police Department, where it was assigned to Detective Stellinga. After reviewing the report, a search warrant was issued for Mendez’s residence, where officials seized numerous electronic devices as evidence.

A digital forensics examination of the devices collected from the defendant revealed multiple files of child sexual abuse material. An arrest warrant was issued for Mendez, who was subsequently taken into custody shortly after.

This case was successfully prosecuted by Assistant State Attorneys Tyler Duffy and Devon Razey.

Published on 05/07/2026.