Garey A. Buscaino, a 48-year-old former firefighter from Pensacola, Florida, has pleaded guilty in federal court to charges involving the production and possession of child pornography over a period spanning ten years. The announcement was made by John P. Heekin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida.
U.S. Attorney Heekin stated, “Protecting our children from exploitation and the predations of sick individuals like this offender remains one of my office’s highest priorities, and I deeply appreciate the outstanding investigative work of our state and federal law enforcement partners who helped bring him to justice. My office will continue to relentlessly pursue offenders who victimize our children and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”
According to court records, the investigation began when the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received information from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children regarding suspected child pornography found in a cloud account belonging to an online user in Northwest Florida. After obtaining a search warrant, authorities discovered not only material sourced from the internet but also videos that appeared to have been produced using hidden cameras and featured unsuspecting minor females.
Further investigation led officials to link the cloud account to Buscaino. Law enforcement executed search warrants at his residence and firehouse, where members of the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force seized multiple electronic devices. These devices contained hidden camera videos showing five minor females in various states of undress as well as thousands of graphic images and videos depicting sexual abuse of children, including some victims as young as toddlers.
Buscaino is scheduled for sentencing on January 15, 2026 before United States District Judge T. Kent Wetherell II. For each count related to production of child pornography involving a minor victim, he faces up to 30 years in prison; for possession involving minors under age 12, he faces up to 20 years per count.
The case is being investigated by both the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations unit. Assistant United States Attorney David L. Goldberg is prosecuting.
This prosecution falls under Project Safe Childhood, an initiative launched by the Department of Justice in May 2006 that coordinates federal, state, and local resources nationwide with a focus on combating child sexual exploitation through online means and identifying victims (www.projectsafechildhood.gov).
The United States Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Florida is among 94 offices serving as principal litigators under direction from the Attorney General. Public court documents can be accessed via the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida website; further details about this office are available at http://www.justice.gov/usao/fln/index.html.
