Fort Myers man charged with distributing child pornography

FORT MYERS, Fla. – A criminal complaint was filed in federal court Tuesday charging a Fort Myers man with distribution of child pornography following an investigation by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).

According to the criminal complaint, on Jan. 31, Charles Allen Nave III, 38, sent child pornography over the Internet to an undercover special agent located in Washington, D.C. From there, an investigation ensued. On Tuesday, HSI special agents executed a search warrant at his place of business and uncovered more than 100 images of child pornography in Nave's possession.

If convicted, Nave faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

A criminal complaint is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of the federal criminal laws, and every defendant is presumed innocent unless, and until, proven guilty.

This investigation was part of Operation Predator, a nationwide HSI initiative to protect children from sexual predators, including those who travel overseas for sex with minors, Internet child pornographers, criminal alien sex offenders and child sex traffickers. HSI encourages the public to report suspected child predators and any suspicious activity through its toll-free hotline at 1-866-347-2423 or by completing its online tip form. Both are staffed around the clock by investigators.

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, 1-800-843-5678.

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.