Port St. Lucie police officer arrested for distribution, possession of child pornography

MIAMI – A Port St. Lucie police officer was arrested Tuesday for possession and distribution of child pornography. The charges resulted from an investigation conducted by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami and Delaware and the Port St. Lucie Police Department.

Michael Edwin Harding, 27, of Port St. Lucie, was charged with receiving and distributing material involving sexual exploitation of minors and with possession of child pornography. U.S. Magistrate Judge Frank J. Lynch ordered that Harding be held without bond pending a detention hearing Sept. 30 at 9:30 a.m.

According to court documents, on July 23, an individual posted images of child pornography to an instant message account for mobile devices.  An investigation conducted by HSI special agents revealed that an additional image and video of child related sexually explicit materials were posted to the account. Subscriber information allegedly identified Harding as the account holder. On Sept. 22, HSI special agents executed a federal search warrant at Harding’s residence and seized his computer, cell phone and thumb drive, along with other materials. A preliminary forensic analysis revealed the seized items contained hundreds of images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct.

If convicted, Harding faces up to 20 years in prison and would be required to register as a sex offender in any jurisdiction in which he lives.

This investigation was conducted under HSI’s Operation Predator, an international initiative to protect children from sexual predators. Since the launch of Operation Predator in 2003, HSI has arrested more than 10,000 individuals for crimes against children, including the production and distribution of online child pornography, traveling overseas for sex with minors, and sex trafficking of children. In fiscal year 2014, more than 2,300 individuals were arrested by HSI special agents under this initiative and more than 1,000 victims identified or rescued.

HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free Tip Line at 1-866-DHS-2-ICE or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators. From outside the U.S. and Canada, callers should dial 802-872-6199. Hearing impaired users can call TTY 802-872-6196. Suspected child sexual exploitation or missing children may be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children, an Operation Predator partner, via its toll-free 24-hour hotline, 1-800-THE-LOST.

For additional information about wanted suspected child predators, download HSI’s Operation Predator smartphone app or visit the online suspect alerts page.

HSI is a founding member and current chair of the Virtual Global Taskforce, an international alliance of law enforcement agencies and private industry sector partners working together to prevent and deter online child sexual abuse.