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Police seek IDs of girls abused in sex tapes

  • Story Highlights
  • Girls thought to be 7 to 9 years old when tapes made five years ago
  • Suspect, 36, charged with 11 counts of possession of child pornography
  • Hundreds of videos found in Florida apartments suspect had rented
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(CNN) -- Police in Hallandale Beach, Florida, are looking for at least two victims of underage sexual abuse seen in videotapes found in the apartment of a man arrested last week on child pornography charges.

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Hundreds of videos were found in apartments rented by Kent Sheley, police say.

Matthew Kent Sheley, 36, is being held in a Broward County jail on $110,000 bond after being charged Friday with 11 counts of possession of child pornography. He does not yet have an attorney, according to the county state attorney's office.

Sheley was arrested after police received five videos showing attacks on two girls, both about 7 to 9 years old, from a property manager cleaning up an apartment where Sheley recently lived, Hallandale Beach police spokesman Andrew Casper said.

"It's pretty graphic," property manager Martin Halladey said. Video Watch Halladey describe what's on videos »

Although the faces of neither Sheley nor the girls are shown in the video, police identified him through star tattoos on his left arm and hand that are seen in the video, Casper said.

Police also released an image of the arm of one of the young girls in the hope that it will help authorities find her. The image shows a "kidney-shaped mole" on her left interior forearm. In the picture, the same arm is handcuffed.

Police did not release a picture of the second girl, but Casper said that a date on the tapes indicates the alleged abuse took place five years ago. Both girls would now be in their early teens, he said.

"We need the public's help in identifying these victims," Casper said.

Sheley was arrested by police Friday at an apartment in Hollywood, Florida, where police found more videos. Police are going through them to identify more possible victims and may add more charges against Sheley, Casper said.

"We have hundreds of videos," he said. "It's going to be a long, arduous process."

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Casper said that Sheley is originally from Texas and had lived in Gainesville, Florida, before moving to South Florida about 10 years ago. He led "a transient life" and, Casper said, he may have victimized girls in other states.

Sheley's criminal record includes convictions for burglary and marijuana possession, according to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement. E-mail to a friend E-mail to a friend

CNN's Patrick Oppmann contributed to this report.

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