ST. JOHNS COUNTY, Fla. – A St. Johns County Office deputy was fired Friday after he was arrested and accused of possessing child pornography.
Deputy Blake Gruny, an eight-year member of the department, now faces 13 charges.
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The Sheriff’s Office said the charges came after its Internet Crimes Against Children Unit received cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children concerning the upload of Child Sexual Abuse Material (CSAM) to an electronic service provider.
Deputy Gruny was apparently a member of the K9 team, according to a photo posted on Facebook in 2019 by the Sheriff’s Office.
“Protecting children from exploitation is a priority for SJSO, and offenders will be held accountable regardless of occupation or status. This is an active investigation, and several items of evidentiary value are still being examined. We will provide additional updates as applicable,” the Sheriff’s Office said in a Friday night news release.
Gruny was transported to the Putnam County Jail as a courtesy hold because he is known as a deputy to inmates at the St. Johns County Jail.
Gruny faces six counts of possession of CSAM, six counts of Transmission of CSAM and one count of Unlawful use of a Two-Way Communication Device.