Florida Man Arrested After Taking Photos of Toddlers Holding Gun, Beer, and Marijuana: ‘It Wasn’t My Kid’
DELEON SPRINGS, FLORIDA — A 27-year-old Florida man is facing felony charges after allegedly staging disturbing photos of toddlers holding a gun, a beer bottle, and a bag of marijuana — later claiming, “It wasn’t my kid,” when questioned by police.
Taylor Knoop was arrested by the Volusia County Sheriff’s Office on two counts of felony child neglect without great bodily harm, following a citizen tip that led deputies to a series of alarming images.
Disturbing Photos Spark Investigation
According to an arrest affidavit obtained by Law&Crime, a concerned citizen contacted deputies after receiving photos that appeared to show a toddler holding a bag of marijuana weighing roughly one pound.
Another image showed a little girl with a Michelob Ultra beer bottle on her stomach, and a third depicted her holding a Glock-style handgun.
Police described the photos as “staged” but noted the dangerous exposure to real weapons and drugs.
“OK, you act like I care — it wasn’t my kid,” Knoop allegedly replied in a text message to a woman who expressed concern about the photos, according to investigators.
Home Inspection Reveals Troubling Conditions
Deputies, joined by officials from the Florida Department of Children and Families, visited Knoop’s DeLeon Springs residence to conduct welfare checks on the children seen in the images.
Inside, officers found that the kids’ rooms were “under renovation,” with exposed wires and support beams, according to the report. Three young children — including one of the victims — were living there and appeared to be in fair health, but authorities noted unsafe home conditions.
Knoop admitted to police that he knew about the photos but denied owning the gun or marijuana. He described the image with the beer bottle as “a joke” and claimed that the photo of the baby with the Glock had been taken while he was “in another room.”
He also told deputies that some of the images were three years old.
Arrest, Charges, and Court Appearance
Knoop was taken into custody and booked into the Volusia County Jail, later posting a $10,000 bond. Court records show he has pleaded not guilty to the charges and is scheduled to appear before a judge on November 20.
Deputies say the investigation remains active and additional charges could follow depending on forensic analysis of the weapon and drugs shown in the photos.
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