Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrests of three men charged with possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) Friday at a news conference in Fort Myers. According to a release, Travis Montgomery of Manatee County, Kevin Sheffield of Collier County, and Jason Grant Harrison of Hendry County were all charged with CSAM.
“These arrests reflect our ongoing commitment to child protection. If you are trying to prey on kids, we are watching, and we are coming for you," Uthmeier said. “Thanks to our partners at FDLE, these pedophiles now face our Statewide Prosecutors, who will ensure they are held accountable for their crimes. We will continue working hard to defend children and make our home safe, strong, and free.”
In his announcement, Uthmeier said Montgomery allegedly communicated with an individual from Washington state, who sent images of the person's young children to Montgomery.
Uthmeier charged Montgomery with six counts of possession of CSAM, one count of solicitation of an image from a parent or legal guardian of sexual conduct involving a child, and one count of consumer product tampering. In addition, Uthmeier said Montgomery would be charged with possession of or distribution of pornography containing bestiality later.
Sheffield was arrested after using the BitTorrent network, where offenders often share child sexual abuse material. Uthmeier's office charged him with 10 counts of possession of CSAM.
According to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE), Sheffield also allegedly had 10 or more images on his devices and downloaded hundreds more since 2022.
Harrison was arrested after downloading and then subsequently deleting multiple files depicting CSAM. He is charged with three counts of possession of CSAM.
"FDLE has long led the charge in investigating child sexual abuse material and exploitation cases,” Florida Department of Law Enforcement Commissioner Mark Glass said. “The individuals here are accused of preying on the most innocent and vulnerable among us—children who are too often victimized in horrific, unimaginable ways. Let me be clear: if you exploit or harm a child in Florida, FDLE will find you and we will hold you accountable.”
