POLK COUNTY, Fla. — A former Lake Alfred city commissioner was arrested earlier this month for child pornography possession, the Polk County Sheriff’s Office said Wednesday.
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The Sheriff’s Office said he was initially arrested April 18, and an additional 2,896 counts of enhanced possession of child pornography were filed against him Tuesday.
Investigators said they discovered graphic material of children between the ages of six months to 12 years old.
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Charles Lake, 90, now faces a combined 3,196 felony charges, the Sheriff’s Office said.
Deputies said that following Lake’s arrest, forensic technicians examined all of his electronic storage devices, which were seized as evidence.
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Detectives said they discovered that Lake had a “compartmentalized” system that organized and categorized the thousands of graphic images and videos.
“Charles Lake is a public official with a dark, twisted involvement with the exploitative child pornography trade,” Sheriff Grady Judd said in a prepared statement Tuesday. “In the past, he has done photography for the city and local schools and has assisted people with their computers.”
Anyone who is aware of or witnessed any inappropriate interactions, images or involvement associated with Lake is asked to call the Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.
2,896 additional explicit child pornography charges filed against former Lake Alfred City Commissioner Charles Lake
— Polk County Sheriff 🚔 Grady Judd (@PolkCoSheriff) May 1, 2024
A former Lake Alfred City Commissioner who was arrested on April 18, 2024 by Computer Crimes detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office had an additional… pic.twitter.com/BuIVG1zxuj
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