Gainesville man arrested for domestic battery and then charged with 13 counts related to possession of child and animal sexual abuse material

Staff report

GAINESVILLE, Fla. – Kolton Aaron Kerns, 26, was arrested this morning on a warrant for domestic battery and later charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, 10 counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of possession of animal sexual abuse material; he is also facing drug charges.

Domestic battery

On May 16, Kerns’s girlfriend, who said she was visiting from out of state, called 911 and said Kerns had choked her until she passed out; she said she awakened when Kerns punched her in the face and that he also bit her. The victim said Kerns put his hands on a gun in his waistband and said, “I’m going to kill you,” so she ran and hid in a closet while calling police. Kerns was no longer at the residence when Gainesville Police Department officers arrived.

The victim said she had been visiting for 10 days and Kerns had battered her twice before the May 16 incident.

Kerns was arrested at his Oaks Glades apartment (3600 block of SW 29th Terrace) at about 9 a.m. on May 22.

Child/animal sexual abuse material

In September 2024, a CyberTip was received about child sexual abuse material (CSAM) that was uploaded to a Kik account and distributed to others in private chats.

In October 2024, a CyberTip was received about 50 CSAM videos on a different Kik account; one of the videos is very similar to, if not the same, as a video found on the first account.

Subpoenas revealed that the email addresses associated with the Kik accounts belonged to Kolton Kerns, and the IP addresses used to log in and upload videos belonged to a home and a business in Gainesville. A Gainesville Police Department detective reported that a check of Kerns’s social media account showed that he previously worked at the business and was still working there in September 2024. The social media account also showed distinctive tattoos on his arms and hands.

In response to search warrants, Kik reportedly provided at least nine CSAM videos from the first account, along with 23 videos of the same man masturbating; the man was identified as Kerns by his distinctive tattoos. A search warrant for the second account reportedly produced at least 23 CSAM videos and one video of the same man shown in the first account, identified by his distinctive tattoos.

The arrest report lists extensive examples of chats on Kik in which both accounts are actively looking to “trade” CSAM material with other Kik users.

At about 3:35 p.m. on May 22, a search warrant was executed at Kerns’s apartment, where “numerous” electronic devices were seized, and detectives spoke with Kerns that evening at the jail.

Post Miranda, Kerns reportedly said both email addresses are his, that he previously worked at the business, and that the home belongs to his “friend.” When shown the videos of himself, he reportedly asked for an attorney.

At least 50 CSAM videos were reportedly found on his devices.

Kerns has been charged with two counts of distribution of child pornography, 10 counts of possession of child pornography, and one count of possession of animal sexual abuse material. He was also charged with domestic battery, domestic battery by strangulation, and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon. He is also facing a sworn complaint for drug possession and a charge of introducing contraband into a detention facility.

Kerns has four misdemeanor convictions (non-violent). Judge Susan Miller-Jones set bail at $1.3 million on the child/animal pornography charges and $60,000 on the domestic battery charges and ordered that he have no access to the internet.

Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed are taken from the arrest report and/or court records and are only accusations. All suspects are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.