A Central Florida firefighter is facing more than 25 counts of possessing child pornography.
Polk County sheriff’s deputies arrested 40-year-old Brian Steger on Aug. 7 after an anonymous tip, according to a press release from Polk Sheriff’s Office. Deputies showed up at the Polk County Fire Station #26 in Lake Wales around 9 p.m. that evening. Steger told authorities he had a personal internet account at the station. When detectives checked his computer, they discovered he was actively downloading pornography files.
Polk deputies searched his electronic devices and found 25 files of enhanced pornography, with children as young as 5 years old, according to the press release. An enhanced child porn charge meets any of the following five criteria: a child under 5 years old, sadomasochistic abuse, sexual battery, sexual bestiality and any movie involving a child.
Authorities seized all of his devices for further examination and promised they would add more charges if they found any additional child porn files.
“One of the most important kinds of investigations we do is identifying those who are distributing child pornography. Those who download, view, and exchange these terrible images and videos fuel the market for exploitative images that are dependent upon the continued and ongoing sexual abuse of children,” said Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd. “The fact that the person we arrested is a public servant is especially troubling — we will make sure he is held accountable for his actions.”
He’s also facing an added charge of promoting child porn.
Steger resigned from his job instead of being fired.
He’d been a firefighter in the county since 2003.
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