A 21-year-old Cudjoe Key man is in custody after a national cyber tip sparked an investigation into the online trade of illegal and abusive material. Jacob Rookey faces multiple felony charges that could put him behind bars for up to a century.
The investigation began when the Broward County Sheriff’s Office received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The report flagged a Snapchat account that was allegedly possessing, viewing, and sending child sexual abuse material (CSAM). Investigators tracked the account’s IP address back to Rookey, shifting the case to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) in the Florida Keys.
After securing subpoenas and search warrants, investigators uncovered digital communications showing that Rookey was buying and selling CSAM, along with animal sexual abuse materials. Digital evidence also revealed he was soliciting minors for illegal images while posing as an underage girl online…