A Sarasota, Florida man, Mason Hull, was arrested after his then-girlfriend told the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office she found Telegram messages that appeared to show paid child sexual abuse material. The affidavit says Hull admitted he used the app to look for taboo pornography and allegedly described the victims as between 8 and 15 years old. Hull, who posts as Hullo on TikTok and builds an audience with looksmaxxing advice, now faces 15 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
According to the account given to investigators, the discovery started at home when Hull’s girlfriend grew suspicious and checked his phone while he was sleeping. She reported finding chat logs with links, photos, and videos she believed to be child sexual abuse material and took photos of those messages on her own device. Those images were later shown to detectives and became the basis for the search and the affidavit.
Detectives interviewed Hull after the woman turned the screenshots over and the affidavit records what he told officers during that meeting. The case file says Telegram chats contained files and links that the girlfriend believed were explicitly illegal and that she passed that evidence along to law enforcement. Investigators then moved forward with an arrest after corroborating the screenshots and Hull’s own statements.
In the interview, investigators say Hull told them he had started using Telegram to access content he considered forbidden because he had recently decided to “try something new.” That phrase appears in the affidavit as part of his explanation for seeking out pornography he described as taboo. The document reports Hull acknowledged the nature of the material he accessed when questioned about it.
The affidavit states investigators asked Hull about the ages of the children depicted and that he identified them as being between 8 and 15 years old. Based on the evidence collected and the admissions attributed to Hull, he was taken into custody and charged with 15 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. Those are serious state offenses that the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office says they pursued once the evidence was presented.
Hull is known online under the handle Hullo and built a following by posting looksmaxxing content, a practice aimed at improving appearance that ranges from basic grooming to surgical interventions. His videos promoted techniques he said could boost appearance and confidence, and that persona was how many people recognized him on TikTok. The contrast between that online image and the allegations in the affidavit has drawn attention from followers and local residents alike.
After the arrest, law enforcement outlined how their investigative units worked together to execute the case without incident and to prioritize victim protection. The Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office indicated its Patrol, ICAC, and TAC units coordinated on the move from tip to arrest. Local prosecutors will review the evidence to determine how the charges proceed through the court system.
Anyone who believes they have relevant information about this investigation is being asked to contact the SCSO Investigations Bureau at (941) 861-4900 to speak with detectives. Law enforcement officials encourage tipsters to provide any screenshots, chat details, or other digital traces that could help the probe. They emphasized the community role in spotting and reporting signs of exploitation.
In a press release, the Sarastoa County Sheriff’s Office wrote, “This investigation highlights SCSO’s commitment to protecting children and aggressively pursuing those who exploit them. The coordinated efforts of the Patrol, ICAC, and TAC Units allowed this investigation and arrest to be executed without incident.” That statement underlines the agency’s public stance as the case moves into the legal phase.
