MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. — A Miami-Dade man was arrested early Wednesday morning on more than two dozen charges related to sex crimes involving children following a SWAT raid that left his 21-year-old brother dead, according to jail records obtained by Local 10 News.
Records show Cristian Barata, 25, was taken into custody around 12:15 a.m. on 15 counts of possessing images of sexual performance by a child and 10 counts of promoting or attempting to promote sexual performance by a child.
It happened after Miami-Dade Sheriff’s Office Special Response Team rolled into a southwest Miami-Dade neighborhood near Fairway Heights Boulevard and Southwest 102nd Place early Tuesday morning.
Deputies were assisting investigators with the Internet Crimes Against Children (ICAC) task force, serving a warrant in a case involving the sexual exploitation of children after the agency received “multiple cyber tips containing child sex abuse material” from a user who was later identified as Barata.
His arrest report states that at least 11 cyber tips were reported to the task force with “the most current activity being in September.”
Authorities said Barata was in possession of video of children as young as 3 years old engaging in sexual activity.
With guns drawn, deputies crowded the front yard of the home, where several people, including a young child, were inside.
According to Miami-Dade County Sheriff Rosie Cordero-Stutz, a man confronted deputies with a gun and they were forced to fire. The 21-year-old, later identified by his mother as Christopher Barata, was pronounced dead at the scene.
“He was just 21 years old,” the mother said in Spanish, weeping. “My son … my son … he worked for TSA and was going to join the Army. They killed him.” She also insisted that her son did not own a gun.
Moments after the gunfire, deputies detained Cristian Barata.
“The ICAC warrants are historically some of the most dangerous we serve,” Cordero-Stutz said. “Our deputies rendered aid to the individual who was shot, but he died at the home.”
The stepfather of the Barata brothers, Israel Lopez, said the family is devastated.
“My wife is devastated. She has no one in jail, one is dead,” he said.
Both men had worked for the Transportation Security Administration. The TSA confirmed that the employees involved had their access to secure areas revoked and were removed from duties pending the investigation.
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement is handling the investigation into the deputy-involved shooting.
Cordero-Stutz asked the community to come forward with any information regarding these crimes against children by calling Miami-Dade Crime Stoppers at 305-471-8477.
Cristian Barata appeared in bond court, where a judge set his bond at $87,500. He remained jailed at the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center as of Wednesday morning.
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