Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier awarded his 2025 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year to Detective Eva Solis of the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, citing her in the rescue of four human trafficking victims.
“The recognition stems from the detective’s exceptional investigative work on one of the most horrific child exploitation and human trafficking cases in Clay County Sheriff’s Office history,” according to his office’s May 20 announcement. “A citizen discovered a thumb drive locked in a safe at an abandoned storage unit. The device was turned over to law enforcement, where investigators discovered extensive material related to child sexual exploitation. Some of the key findings from the investigation include seven identified victims, one child rescued, three victims recovered and more than 2 million CSAM files.”
In congratulating Solis, the Sheriff’s Office posted that on the same day she received this award, the defendant in the case was found guilty in federal court on all charges. Court records identify him as 56-year-old Frederick Karl Hildenbrand. He was found guilty of nine counts of producing child sexual abuse material and two counts of possessing such material ― files depicting himself sexually abusing children, including toddlers and infants. He also described himself as “an Elite ranked pedophile” for over 30 years.
“Thank you, Attorney General James Uthmeier, for this recognition and for highlighting a child exploitation investigation,” Solis said. “This was the most heinous case of my career and today, the defendant was found guilty by a jury of his peers. Today’s verdict is a huge win for the victims of this case. This award highlights the collaborative efforts of citizens, the Clay County Sheriff’s Office, Intercept Task Force, Homeland Security Investigations, Cocoa Police Department, the Clay County State Attorney’s Office and the Middle District of Florida’s U.S. Attorney’s Office.”
Due to working in an undercover capacity, her photo was not provided.
On July 30, Solis as well as partner Ryan Ellis also were honored by the Florida Sheriffs Association as the 2025 Law Enforcement Officers of the Year after being jointly nominated following the same investigation.
“Detectives Solis and Ellis exemplify the very essence of serve and protect,” Clay County Sheriff Michelle Cook said at the time. “Their courage, professionalism and dedication are evident in everything they do. Time and again, they break through every obstacle to save lives.”
The Sheriffs Association provided more details about the case, stating the detectives identified several adults and children appearing in the disturbing videos. They had credible reason to believe one child was still in immediate danger and living with the suspects in the footage.
After following leads across jurisdictions, they located the primary suspect and his wife living in Cocoa. Members of the task force were able to bring the suspect back to Clay County. Further investigation revealed he was a serial child predator and with his wife engaged in the exploitation of children together. Federal court records show his wife, Erin Lynn Hildenbrand, 47, pleaded guilty as an accomplice in March. Both are awaiting sentencing.
“The detectives rescued one live child victim and identified several others who had been previously subjected to abuse,” the association said. “These victims, now adults, were given a pathway to closure and healing. The case has since unlocked new leads that stretch beyond state and national borders.”
Times-Union writer Steve Patterson contributed to this report.
(This story has been updated with new details.)
This article originally appeared on Florida Times-Union: Clay County detective named Officer of Year, saved trafficking victims
Reporting by Scott Butler, Jacksonville Florida Times-Union / Florida Times-Union
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