A Seminole man who fostered nearly two dozen children over an 11-year span was arrested Wednesday morning on charges related to child sexual abuse material.
John Ballard, 51, faces 20 counts of possession, control or intentional viewing of child sexual abuse material, Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri announced Wednesday. Ballard also faces five counts of sexual activity involving animals.
Ballard and his husband were licensed foster parents who fostered 23 kids, aged 4-12, between 2017 and 2023, Gualtieri said at a news conference. The Tampa Bay Times is not naming Ballard’s husband because he has not been charged with a crime.
The couple also adopted five sons between 2015 and 2023 — four of whom were living in their home at the time of Ballard’s arrest. One, now an adult, has moved out of state.
Pinellas deputies began investigating Ballard on May 12, after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children notified them of suspicious activity on the messaging app Kik, Gualtieri said. Investigators found communication between Ballard and three other people in which Ballard appeared to describe sexual acts involving young children, including his son.
When deputies seized Ballard’s phone, they found evidence that he had downloaded bestiality videos and graphic child sexual abuse material, Gualtieri said.
Early interviews that investigators conducted with Ballard’s adopted sons painted a pattern of “concerning behavior,” according to Gualtieri, who said the investigation is ongoing.
The four children remain in the home, and the Florida Department of Children and Families is investigating, Gualtieri said.
