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FAU Web Developer Charged After Federal Raid Finds 1,000+ Child Abuse Videos in Coral Springs Home
A 39-year-old Florida Atlantic University website developer faces federal charges after Homeland Security agents traced a peer-to-peer file-sharing address to his Coral Springs home and found more than 1,000 videos depicting child sexual abuse, according to a criminal complaint.
CORAL SPRINGS, Fla. â A Florida Atlantic University employee was arrested this week after federal agents searching his Coral Springs home found more than 1,000 videos depicting the sexual abuse of children, according to a federal criminal complaint.
Konstantin Kunyanskiy, 39, was taken into custody following a Tuesday raid and was scheduled to appear Thursday morning in Fort Lauderdale federal court. He faces two federal charges: possession and distribution of visual depictions involving the sexual exploitation of minors. If convicted, he could face years in federal prison.
According to the complaint, Homeland Security Investigations agents began monitoring Kunyanskiy in June after an IP address tied to his home was detected offering child sexual abuse material for download on a peer-to-peer file-sharing network, with activity dating back to November. Agents downloaded more than 30 files from the address before obtaining a search warrant.
Investigators described the material in graphic terms: videos of boys and girls being raped and sexually abused, including a compilation video nearly half an hour long featuring numerous victims. An agent noted in the complaint that the children depicted were largely infants and toddlers.
During an interview, agents said Kunyanskiy admitted to downloading, possessing and distributing the files online and directed them to an external hard drive where more could be found. He told agents he works for FAU as a website developer and said he had modified software settings so he could store the files, according to the complaint. He also claimed to be sexually attracted to the minors in the videos but not in real life, agents wrote.
A further search of his devices turned up more than 1,000 videos, mostly depicting girls ranging from toddlers to teenagers, the complaint states.
An FAU spokesperson told reporters the university does not comment on personnel matters. The university did not say whether Kunyanskiy remains employed or whether any internal review has been opened.
The case highlights the growing role of peer-to-peer network monitoring in federal child exploitation investigations, as well as the volume of abuse material that can be stored on consumer hard drives. It also raises questions about institutional screening and oversight at public universities, where employees may have access to technical systems and sensitive data.
Kunyanskiy is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty. Federal prosecutors have not announced additional charges, and the investigation appears to be ongoing.