A former Transportation Security Administration agent at St. Pete-Clearwater International Airport has been accused of posing as his ex-wife on Twitter in order to post child pornography and naked photos of her, according to court documents.
Jeremy Joseph West, 45, was arrested in July on three felony counts, including possessing and transmitting child pornography and fraudulent use of personal I.D., court records show. His attorney declined to comment when reached by the Tampa Bay Times.
The Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office said it began investigating the case in December 2020, following a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip centered on a Twitter account that had been flagged for transmitting child pornography, sharing pictures of child pornography and exchanging messages in which the account holder discussed pedophilic fantasies, authorities said.
The tip was initially referred to the Orlando Police Department, but it was passed along to the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office after information obtained from a subpoena indicated the account holder lived in the Tampa Bay area.
The information showed that the Twitter account’s internet connection was tied to West’s home address, according to the arrest affidavit. A subpoena for the internet connection of the email account connected to the Twitter profile also revealed ties to West’s phone, the affidavit said.
An image appearing to depict an act of bestiality had been posted by the Twitter account, according to a search warrant application in the case. The image was a photo of child pornography that had been altered to appear to be depicting bestiality, according to the application.
The initial tip included images from the flagged Twitter account, such as multiple computer-generated child pornography images, photos depicting bestiality and nude photos of a woman who was later identified as West’s ex-wife.
In an interview with police at his home, West admitted to posing as his ex-wife on Twitter but denied looking at child pornography, according to the affidavit.
West’s ex-wife said he previously had taken photos of her in various states of undress, but she did not give him permission to post them online or to pretend to be her on Twitter, according to the arrest affidavit. She said she had not used the flagged Twitter account or its associated email account, and she said she had not used either platform for child pornography, the affidavit said.
Authorities executed a search warrant for West’s phone and his Apple Watch, both of which they took into possession upon his arrest.
In an emailed statement to the Times, the TSA said it cooperated with law enforcement’s investigation on West.
“TSA does not tolerate illegal, unethical or immoral conduct,” the statement said. “The actions involving this former TSA employee are an affront to the hardworking and committed members of our workforce.”
The TSA refers to West as a former agent, but it did not specify how his employment ended.