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The Villages
Tuesday, May 21, 2024

Former Brownwood Hotel manager to be sentenced on child porn charges

Barry Puzio
Barry Puzio

A former Brownwood Hotel & Spa manager will be sentenced this summer after entering a plea to 10 counts of possession of child pornography.

Barry Osborne Puzio, 45, of Grand Island, this past week in Lake County Court pleaded no contest to the charges. Sentencing has been set for July 3. He remains free on $20,000 bond.

The Michigan native was arrested Sept. 29, 2021 at his home in Grand Island following a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, according to an affidavit of probable cause from the Florida Department of Law Enforcement.

Specifically, the tipster referenced two uploaded files which appeared to depict the sexual exploitation of a child. It led to the discovery of a dropbox that contained 56 videos, including images of graphic sexual exploitation of girls as young as 3. The IP address was traced to the Brownwood Hotel & Spa where Puzio was employed as well as to his home.

Puzio began working February 2020 as guest service manager at the Brownwood Hotel & Spa. Prior to that, he worked as general manager at the Hyatt Place hotel in Auburn Hills, Mich.

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