Berman released from jail under total bond of $21,500
Colton Joseph Berman, 29, of 1912 Tulip Drive in Sarasota, has been arrested on 13 counts of possession of child pornography, the Sarasota Police Department reported on Aug. 19.
In March, “the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) Task Force contacted Sarasota Police detectives regarding a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC),” a news release explains. “The tip indicated that two files suspected to contain child pornography were uploaded online from a home in the 1900 block of Tulip Drive in Sarasota,” the release continues. “Detectives reviewed the videos and confirmed they contained child pornography.”
The release further notes, “Months of investigation and surveillance led to a search warrant served Aug. 8, 2025, at the home where the videos were uploaded. A digital forensic exam of electronic devices seized from the home revealed additional explicit photos and videos, as well as chat conversations in which Berman requested and sent child pornography.”
Berman was arrested on Aug. 14 and booked into the Sarasota County Jail. He was released on Aug. 15 on total bond of $21,500, his booking record shows.
An Aug. 15 document included in his 12th Judicial Circuit Court case docket said Berman should be under a high level of supervision during his pre-trial release. It also noted that he must have no contact with minors and that he should not use any cellphone or other device with an internet connection. However, it allows him to use his mother’s phone “for mental health sessions,” with his mother and his attorney present during those sessions.
The Probable Cause Affidavit for Berman says he is unemployed.
His arraignment has been scheduled for Sept. 12, the jail booking record adds.
“The case remains active and ongoing,” the Police Department news release points out. Anyone with information about the incidents is asked to contact the agency’s Criminal Investigations Division at 941-263-6070, it adds.
Details in the Probable Cause Affidavit
A Sarasota News Leader review of Berman’s Probable Cause Affidavit found that, on March 31, Circuit Judge Donna Marie Padar signed a search warrant for the internet account Berman allegedly used to download the pornography. The affidavit notes that, after the warrant was executed, detectives found 51,473 images and 5,725 videos related to that account.
Further, the affidavit says that “thousands of Instant Messages” were discovered, which Berman allegedly had sent to other accounts, “requesting ‘teen’ pornography.”
During an interview with detectives after he was read the Miranda Warning, the affidavit continues, Berman reported “that he watched a lot of pornography and generally searched for ‘petite teens’ or young porn. It adds that he used a variety of apps on his devices, including Discord, Twitch and Snapchat.
Further, the affidavit notes that he told the detectives that he “communicated in large chat groups where large volumes of pornography videos are sent and received. Berman related that he views, receives, and sends large volumes of pornography.”
However, the affidavit points out, “Berman denies that he views, receives, or transmits child pornography. Berman explained that he is not always aware of the age of the subjects in the pornography he is viewing or receiving.”
The affidavit indicates that the videos found through execution of the search warrant were as short as 7 seconds. The girls in the videos appeared to range in age from 5 to 13, it adds.
The News Leader found no other cases involving Berman when it checked the 12th Judicial Circuit Court records maintained by Karen Rushing, Sarasota County clerk of the Circuit Court and county comptroller, and her staff.