A Coral Springs man facing more than 100 charges related to child pornography appeared in Broward Circuit Court on Tuesday morning. 

John Field, 66, was arrested Monday after officers were alerted that he was taking pictures of girls showering on the beach near Southeast 21st Avenue in Deerfield Beach. 

Police said Field was arrested with a video camera. The Broward Sheriff's Office said most of the videos and images investigators found on the camera, taken Nov. 23, showed unclothed girls, most of whom were under 5 years old, washing off at public showers at the beach.

BSO said field admitted he had an "extensive collection" of child pornography at his Coral Springs home, including "a year's worth of lewd images of children" taken at Deerfield Beach.

"You said that you do this at the beach allegedly because it's the only place where the girls take their clothes off," Judge John Hurley said. "It says you told police you estimate your collection to be 40,000 files -- except the police, once they searched your computer, found 50,000 files -- with children between 1 to 12 years of age in sexually explicit positions." 

BSO said Field admitted that he had been collecting child pornography for about 13 years.

Field told the judge he has lived in South Florida for a year and a half. He said he is recently retired and is taking care of his elderly mother. 

Investigators said the South Florida Internet Crimes Against Children task force had field on its radar for some time. BSO Detective Jennifer Montgomery, who works with the task force, said Field told her "his lifelong attraction to children" was "much more than a fetish."

BSO said Field, who has retained an attorney, did not admit to having any physical contact with children. He may face more charges, according to investigators.

Police said anyone with information about children potentially harmed by Field is asked to call Broward Crime Stoppers at 954-493-TIPS (8477).