A Port St. Lucie police officer will remain in jail a day after he was arrested by the Department of Homeland Security on charges of child pornography.
An affidavit said Officer Michael Harding had child porn videos of preschool age to pre-teen boys/girls performing sex acts.
During a federal court hearing Wednesday morning in Fort Pierce, he was formally charged with sending and receiving child porn, which is a minimum of five years and maximum of 20 years in prison.
According to the affidavit, Harding used a messenger app called Kik, which uses WiFi to send photos and videos. Kik doesn't list your number, but it does monitor the device used and a list of IP addresses.
Investigators said the videos showed pre-teen girls performing oral sex on an adult man. Some videos involved pre-school age girls.
The affidavit also says when investigators searched Harding's home, a thumb drive was found in a bedroom closet that contained several videos of both young boys and girls performing sex acts. Some of the children were about 6 or 7 years old.
Harding told the judge he has less than $3,000 in his bank account. The judge declared him indigent and appointed him a public defender. He told a judge he is married and has three children.
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A prosecutor said during the hearing that from July 23, 2015 to Sept. 22, 2015, Harding distributed child porn.
Harding did not receive bond, and the judge said he was a danger to the community. Another hearing will be held Sept. 30.
Records show Harding was awarded Officer of the Year in 2011 in Fort Pierce before he switched employment to work at the Port St. Lucie Police Department in 2012.
During a news conference Wednesday morning, Port St. Lucie Police Chief John Bolduc said Harding was placed on administrative leave without pay pending the outcome of the investigation.
