Tampa Bay briefs

By Times staff reports
© St. Petersburg Times
published December 28, 2001

Man accused of 43 counts of child pornography

ODESSA -- A 20-year-old Odessa man was arrested Thursday on 43 counts of child pornography, and was held in lieu of $215,000 bail, the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said.

The arrest of Charles Cole of 15712 Indian Queen Drive followed a monthlong investigation stemming from his attempt to meet a Polk County teenage girl he had contacted over the Internet, police said.

Hillsborough, which received the case because Cole lives in Odessa, began an investigation that resulted in a search of his house.

When investigators examined Cole's computer, they found 43 pornographic images of underage girls, each one resulting in a separate charge.

Possession of child pornography in Florida is a second-degree felony punishable by up to 15 years in prison.

Murder defendant now off scholarship list

Cynthia McKinney, a senior at Northeast High School in St. Petersburg, has been removed from the list of 48 high school seniors who have been chosen as semifinalists for the 2002 St. Petersburg Times Scholarship.

In early December, McKinney was charged with murder in the fatal stabbing of her half brother, Jonathan Ray.

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