The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission has accused two Citrus County residents of possessing wildlife that was taken illegally. The key evidence: Facebook photos of a skinned deer, reports the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC).

William A. Buchanan, 21, and Tara Anne Carver, 28, were cited for possession of illegally taken wildlife, which is a second-degree misdemeanor, according to a commission news release.

FWC officers received information that the photos had been published on Facebook and investigated the tip," said Lt. Steve Farmer, investigations supervisor.

Buchanan confirmed he was in the photographs, helping skin the deer. He also stated he used his mother's truck to move the deer when he received a call from Carver, and he provided the chain to hang the deer. However, he wouldn't admit to shooting the deer or being present when the deer was killed, said Investigator Jim Smith, lead investigator on the case.

"Carver said she published the photographs on her Facebook page and that the deer was killed sometime in May," Smith said.

Carver blamed Buchanan for killing the deer but confirmed she had skinned it and stored some of the meat in her uncle's freezer.

In a technologically advanced society, Internet websites provide opportunities for the collection of evidence when Florida's wildlife is illegally killed. The FWC has created a specialized Internet Crimes Unit to monitor and collect evidence when Florida's wildlife is exploited. Possession of illegally taken wildlife is a second-degree misdemeanor, according to the news release.

Photo: FWC
In one of the two images posted on Facebook, Tara Anne Carver is shown cleaning an illegally taken white-tailed deer.

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