Staff report
WARNING: This article contains sexually explicit language.
NEWBERRY, Fla. – Cameron Scott Hickey, 28, faces 35 charges involving sexually explicit communications with young teenagers and the alleged use of a computer to solicit a child.
On April 1, an Alachua County Sheriff’s Office detective began investigating a CyberTip from Discord concerning a conversation about buying pictures from an account that claimed to belong to a 13-year-old.
During that investigation, the detective located a second CyberTip from September 2025 involving another Discord account tied to the same phone number. A third CyberTip, dated March 2026, was also connected to the number. In that report, the account allegedly described sexual interest in underage girls and said the fact that such conduct was illegal made it more appealing. The account also reportedly referenced historical marriages involving 14-year-olds and wrote that it hoped Jesus would not care about the user’s desire to have sex with a 14-year-old.
Investigators reportedly linked the phone number to Hickey on multiple platforms, including Venmo, Microsoft Teams and Facebook. The number had also been used by Hickey when reporting a vehicle burglary in July 2023 and another incident in March 2021. The tag connected to the vehicle burglary was registered to Hickey, whose listed addresses included a residence in St. Cloud and a mailing address in Newberry.
Subpoenaed records for the IP addresses associated with the Discord accounts reportedly led investigators to a gym where Hickey is a member, as well as the Newberry and St. Cloud addresses.
A search warrant was carried out at the Newberry residence on June 24. Hickey was interviewed but, after being advised of his Miranda rights, reportedly declined to answer questions.
Investigators reportedly found a Snapchat account on Hickey’s phone containing several conversations with users who claimed to be 12, 13 or 14 years old.
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In one conversation, Hickey’s account allegedly discussed meeting a girl who was “younger than 13 years old” while claiming that he was 17. In another, he reportedly said he was interested in “age gaps,” a term the detective described as commonly used to refer to attraction to children. Hickey also allegedly wrote that he “would be in prison” if anyone discovered the conversation.
A subpoena to Snapchat reportedly yielded images sent to Hickey in those conversations. Investigators described one as a close-up image of a child’s clothed breasts and another as containing images that were “clearly a child.”
The Snapchat account also reportedly contained shirtless and underwear photos of Hickey.
Records obtained through a subpoena for the Discord account reportedly showed a conversation with a girl who said she was 12. According to the sworn complaint, Hickey discussed violent and sexually explicit acts, said the illegality made the conduct more appealing and described himself as potentially “rough and aggressive.” He also allegedly said he would have groomed her from kindergarten if he had known her earlier and called her “a pedophile’s dream.” The complaint contains multiple other conversations with similar allegations.
Hickey also allegedly sent 21 pornographic images to a user he believed was 14. In another conversation lasting about five hours, he reportedly discussed multiple sex acts with someone who claimed to be 13 and sent an image of his genitals. During that exchange, Hickey allegedly said he was 17.
Hickey faces two counts of using a computer to seduce a child while misrepresenting his age, two counts of using a computer to seduce a child, eight counts of explicit communication with a minor, 22 counts of transmitting harmful material to a minor and one count of unlawful use of a two-way communications device. He has no local criminal history. Hickey is being held without bail while the State Attorney’s Office seeks to keep him detained through trial. If the judge rejects that request, bail will be addressed at the hearing.
Articles about arrests are based on reports from law enforcement agencies. The charges listed come from arrest reports and/or court records and are allegations only. All suspects are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court.
