POLK COUNTY, Fla. – A Lake Alfred city commissioner arrested last month now faces over 3,000 counts of child pornography, according to the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.
Charles Lake, 90, was arrested April 18 and additional enhanced possession of child pornography charges were filed Tuesday after detectives searched his devices. He is now facing 3,196 felony charges, deputies said.
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Deputies said 2,896 videos and images depicting abuse on children — from 6 months old to 12 years old — were recovered.
“Detectives discovered that Mr. Lake had a very ‘compartmentalized” system of organizing and categorizing the thousands of child sex abuse images he had,” a sheriff’s news release said.
Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd described Lake in a statement as a “public official with a dark, twisted involvement with the exploitative child pornography trade.”
“In the past, he has done photography for the city and local schools, and has assisted people with their computers. We are asking if anyone is aware of or witnessed any inappropriate interactions, images, or involvement associated with Charles Lake to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200,” the rest of the statement reads.
According to WFLA-TV, Lake resigned days after his arrest. WFLA reported that Lake told detectives he “stumbled upon child porn after clicking on lewd images of women and ‘transvestites.’”
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