TAMPA, FL — On an unknown date in 2018, Terry Sumner, 55, placed a spy camera plugged into a wall outlet in the living room of his victim. On March 5, 2019, the victim located the camera and contacted her cable/internet provider, who helped her determine that the camera was linked to her home WiFi without her consent or knowledge.
Sumner was a family friend who had full access to the home, including the WiFi password and alarm code.
On March 5, detectives interviewed Sumner at his apartment in Plant City. He admitted to placing the spy camera in the victim’s home and to having the camera there for approximately one year. Sumner explained that there was a smartphone application on his phone that he would use to watch, listen and record activity in the victim’s home through a live feed.
A search warrant was issued to gain access to Sumner’s phone. As a result, detectives located hundreds of videos of the interior of the victim’s home, in addition to numerous pictures of child pornography. The victims in the photos were under the age of 11 and they were known to Sumner.
On March 26, a court authorized search warrant was executed on Sumner’s apartment and numerous items of evidence were recovered. Sumner was arrested and charged with one count interception of wire, oral or electronic communications, 24 counts of possession child pornography, 24 counts of manufacturing child pornography, one count of lewd and lascivious molestation force or enticing, one count of lewd and lascivious exhibition, and one count of capital sexual battery.
