[Jacksonville, FL] A small-time tanning bed operator is in big-time trouble.

According to court documents and a press release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office – Middle District of Florida, Starke resident Doyce Dean Griffis (49) ran a one-machine tanning bed salon on his property.

It was a simple operation – drop your money in the slot and fire up the UV rays. But what customers didn’t know was that Griffis was watching the tanning room the entire time in an adjacent room behind a two-way mirror … and running a video camera.

Yikes. He also had cut a hole in the air vent so that he could watch his prey while they tanned. Double yikes.

Authorities say dozens of bronze-seeking females and at least 20 minor girls used Griffis’ makeshift salon, making this particular pervert not only a creep of the highest order, but a creator of child pornography.

Griffis’ home-made video library showed minors undressing, naked and “engaging in sexually explicit conduct.” He kept the videos – each with detailed notes on physicality and sexual characteristics – for his own thrills.

During the investigation, Griffis revealed that his laptop computer was loaded with child porn (103 videos and 45 images were discovered). On February 14, 2012, Griffis pled guilty to five charges of producing videos of child pornography.

Now, his tanning bed operation is shuttered, his video production halted and he is headed to prison for a long time.

Late last week, Griffis was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Marcia Morales Howard to 210 months (17.5 years!) in federal prison and a 10-year term of supervised release. He must also register as a sex offender and hand over his computer and a pair of video cameras.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation, Bradford County Sheriff’s Office and the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations cooperated in the investigation.

By: Mark Christopher/Sunshine Slate

Image: Evil Erin

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