Possession of child pornography charges were dropped against a Miami-Dade Police sergeant accused of giving drugs to two teen boys, his attorney said Wednesday.
James H. Edwards, 48, was arrested in August 2014 on charges of lewd and lascivious conduct with a child under 16, lewd and lascivious exhibition of a child under 16 and possession of a controlled substance.
Following that arrest, detectives searched computers found in his home and charged him in February of this year with 12 counts of possession of child pornography.
Michael Catalano, Edwards' attorney, said he received a letter on Friday that the child pornography charges were dropped by the Miami-Dade State Attorney's Office, with no explanation.
"They couldn't prove it, I guess, I don't know what their motive was but they dropped it all," Catalano said Wednesday.
Catalano said he's trying to work out a plea deal on the other charges.
According to an arrest report, Edwards, a 27-year veteran of the force, had invited a 15-year-old boy to his home to do landscaping work earlier. Once they got there, Edwards gave the teen "honey whiskey," marijuana and the amphetamine known as Molly, the report said.
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Edwards also took a Molly and the two watched a pornographic movie on the Internet, the report said. Edwards began touching and caressing the teen and masturbated, the report said.
Once he was arrested, Miami-Dade Police said Edwards was read his rights and "admitted to masturbating in the victim's presence, giving the victim marijuana, and giving the victim a molly pill.
Edwards was arrested in a similar case involving the boy's 16-year-old brother, who he was accused of giving drugs to and showed pornography. Police said Edwards also admitted to the allegations after being read his rights.
