A Lake County man is behind bars, accused of having hundreds of images of child porn on his computers – and investigators say he would download the images while out in public.
Robert O’Hare, 53, was arrested Monday at a home in the gated Mount Dora neighborhood of Loch Leven.
Investigators say O’Hare would come to the One Flight Up coffee shop in downtown Mount Dora and use their free public Wi-Fi to download hundreds of child porn images.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office watched O’Hare’s Internet habits for three weeks before coming to his home to question him.
“[We] asked for permission to search his computers and such, at which time he told them they didn’t have permission. At that point, they secured the home and began the process of obtaining a search warrant,” said Lt. John Herrell with the Lake County Sheriff’s Office.
In addition to laptop computers, still and video cameras, investigators say one of O’Hare’s windows was covered in black plastic – a small hole cut into it and a telescope with a webcam attached found in his closet.
When investigators held up the telescope to the window, it fit perfectly into the cut-out – leading them to believe O’Hare may have been using it to watch the backyards of neighbors.
Neighbors in the subdivision didn’t want to talk on camera, but say they are shocked a crime like this would happen there.
Alec Graham works at the coffee shop and says O’Hare would often come into the café two to three times a week – and often stay for six hours at a time.
“Everybody kind of knows each other and then, you know, to hear that of someone that most people approved of, it’s kind of, like, startling. It puts you on guard,” said Graham.
The Lake County Sheriff’s Office says incidents like this are more common than people may think.
“It’s really not that surprising because people will stop at nothing to obtain this type of material – to download it and share it so we have seen it in the past,” said Herrell.
O’Hare has been charged with 25 counts of child pornography – and remains in the Lake County jail on $131,000 bond. However, more charges are likely to be filed.