Former ‘Bachelorette’ contestant charged with 15 felony counts of possessing and interacting with child sexual abuse material

MIAMI – A former contestant on the TV show “The Bachelorette” was taken into custody in Florida for reportedly possessing material that depicted child sexual abuse. Seized evidence included digital images and videos, authorities said.

Joshua Georgefrank Tylerbest, 27, was identified as the unseemly alleged offender. He was arrested in February and charged with 15 felony counts of possession of materials showing a sexual performance by a child, Law&Crime reported, citing court records.

Investigators said Tylerbest, who works as an IT consultant, used a Google account registered in his name to upload approximately 50 images and videos showing child sexual abuse. Google flagged the account and notified authorities, according to a probable cause affidavit obtained by TMZ. 

The Miami-Dade Police Department served a search warrant on Tylerbest’s Google account last month. As a result, investigators recovered evidence that showed he had been “interacting with the child pornography images,” TMZ reported.

Part of the follow-up investigation led to the service of a search warrant at Tylerbest’s residence, where police seized several electronic devices that reportedly contained incriminating files. One of those devices was Tylerbest’s iPhone. It reportedly held 15 files of child sexual abuse material.

Several video clips seized by authorities reportedly depicted children under the age of 10 being graphically sexually assaulted by adult abusers.

Tylerbest was released on $5,000 bond after pleading not guilty to the charges. He is scheduled to return to court on June 7, reported Page Six.

In 2021, Tylerbest appeared on season 17 of “The Bachelorette,” which featured Katie Thurston as the ceremonial catch. He was eliminated from consideration after the fourth episode.

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Source: www.lawofficer.com