BROWARD COUNTY, Fla. – A former city commissioner and fire chief was arrested Thursday on charges of transmitting child pornography, according to the Broward Sheriff’s Office.
The sheriff’s office said in April, detectives began investigating a computer user who was downloading child pornography. More than 210 files showed images and videos of the illicit material, detectives said.
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Eventually, investigators determined the suspect to be 62-year-old James Silverstone, a former commissioner and town fire chief for Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
A search warrant of Silverstone’s home in May yielded hundreds of additional videos and photos of child pornography, some involving children as young as infants, detectives said.
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Deputies said Silverstone has also previously served as a volunteer Santa Claus in Lauderdale-By-The-Sea.
A release by the sheriff’s office shows that Silverstone turned himself in to face 10 counts of transmitting child pornography by electronic device. He is held on no bond.
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