Volusia deputies arrested a 56-year-old Edgewater man early Saturday and charged him with molestation and possession of child porn after a search of his computer uncovered pictures of him sexually molesting a teenage girl.
- Investigation into Fred Harvey, 56, launched after Volusia deputies received tip
- Search of Harvey's social media activity turned up multiple child porn images
- Search also uncovered emails containing pictures of molestation
Officials said investigators began looking into Fred Harvey, 56, following a tip received on September 29 that he'd been downloading child pornography from the internet.
The county's Child Exploitation Unit confirmed the images were being downloaded to a computer with an Internet provider account in Harvey's name. A subsequent search of Harvey's social media activity uncovered multiple child porn images, some with victims as young as one and two years old.
The search also uncovered emails containing images of Harvey sexually molesting a 14-year-old girl.
Following these findings, sheriff's investigators, along with agents from the Florida Department of Children and Families and the Department of Homeland Security executed a search warrant of Harvey's home in Edgewater late Friday. Harvey was taken into custody and booked into the Volusia County Jail in Daytona Beach on the following charges:
- Lewd and lascivious molestation
- possession of sexual performance by a child
- promoting sexual performance of a child
Harvey is being held without bond.
Investigators identified the 14 year old as someone known to Harvey. Due to Harvey's job with the New Smyrna Beach Parks and Recreation Division and his position as a Boy Scout Troop leader, however, they fear Harvey might have had more victims.
Anyone with information about Harvey is urged to either call the Sheriff’s Office at (386) 323-3574 or Crime Stoppers at (888) 277 TIPS if they prefer to remain anonymous.