Fla. Man Being Investigated in Wife's Disappearance Now Arrested on Child Pornography Charge

Mar. 15, 2025

Brett Baldwin, Nicole Baldwin.Photo:Marion County Sheriff’s Office; Mount Dora Police Department/ Facebook

Marion County Sheriff’s Office; Mount Dora Police Department/ Facebook

A man who was being investigated as a person of interest in his wife’s disappearance has now been arrested on child pornography charges, PEOPLE has learned.Brett Baldwin – whose wife Nicole Baldwin has been missing since Nov. 2 – was arrested Thursday afternoon on a federal charge for possessing child pornography, Marion County jail records show.The 43-year-old Wildwood, Fla., man remained in custody without bond as of Friday morning.

His wife, Nicole, was last seen at the family’s former home in Mount Dora, Fla., in early November.

Baldwin is currently being investigated as part of a “missing person investigation,” police said, localWKMGreported. That investigation led to his arrest on a federal child pornography charge this week.

The outlet, citing police, reports that detectives looking into his wife’s disappearance had seized Baldwin’s iPhone late last month to search “for evidence relating to the missing person.”

When detectives searched through Baldwin’s phone, however, authorities allege they discovered 31 images and videos depicting child sex abuse, local WESHreports.

“House got barged in, flash banged this morning,” Alisha Baldwin, his daughter, told WESH. “A lot of stress and stuff on my grandma.”

Alisha told WESH that her father’s arrest “does not have anything to do with my mother.”

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The Mount Dora Police Department announced earlier this month that it’s offering a $5,000 reward for any information regarding her disappearance.

“Your help is vital,” the police department said in its social media statement, adding, “Let’s unite as a community to bring Nicole home safely.”

If you suspect child abuse, call the Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-Child or 1-800-422-4453, or go to www.childhelp.org. All calls are toll-free and confidential. The hotline is available 24/7 in more than 170 languages.

source: people.com