PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — A man who lives in the Mediterranean-island nation of Cyprus is in police custody, and a child was safely rescued after a Port St. Lucie police investigation.
During an afternoon news conference, Port St. Lucie Police Lt. Joe Norkus outlined details of the arrest of the suspect, Adam Daniel Lea, 45, from Limassol, Cyprus.
WATCH BELOW: Local police help arrest Cyprus man in sex crimes case
Police said the investigation began in mid-summer 2025 and spanned more than 6,000 miles across the globe, ultimately resulting in the rescue of a young girl who was being sexually abused.
Lea was arrested by local authorities in Cyprus after police said he sought out other adults with "like-minded desires" and also exchanged child pornography.
Unbeknownst to Lea, police said he was communicating with an undercover Port St. Lucie detective.
WATCH THE FULL NEWS CONFERENCE BELOW:
During the investigation, detectives discovered that Lea was living abroad and attempting to use VPNs to conceal his identity.
While communicating with the detective, police said Lea shared "disturbing and dangerous thoughts" and had been sexually abusing a child for many years.
Police said U.S. Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Athens was briefed on the situation and began working to identify the suspect and victim. Legal orders were issued to examine Lea's digital activities.
After analyzing the digital evidence, police said the investigation progressed rapidly. Local authorities in Limassol secured a residential search warrant, located the child and took Lea into custody.
"I think we all need to be aware. We live in a global economy, and everything is done through the internet, through electronic communications, and a lot of that is unsupervised," Norkus said. "If you come across something you are suspicious of, and I think you need to report it. Let law enforcement vet it out."
If you or someone you know is a victim of sexual abuse, please contact 911 or the Sexual Assault Assistance Program of the Treasure Coast at 866-828-7273.
