ORANGE COUNTY, Fla. – An Orange County Sheriff’s Office deputy was arrested Friday, accused of possessing child pornography, according to a news release.
Cpl. James Montiel has been relieved of all law enforcement duties without pay as his criminal case progresses, the release states.
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Orange County Sheriff John Mina said in a statement that he’s committed to ensuring those who serve the community as deputies follow the same laws they are responsible for upholding.
“These are very serious criminal allegations, and there is no place in the Orange County Sheriff’s Office for anyone who commits such heinous crimes,” Mina said.
Montiel was reportedly hired in 2006, the sheriff’s office said. Once his criminal proceedings are complete, the sheriff’s office will conduct an internal administrative investigation and promises the results will be public.
News 6 has also confirmed with the sheriff’s office that Montiel is the same deputy who fatally shot 22-year-old Salaythis Melvin outside of the Florida Mall in August 2020.
The Seminole County Sheriff’s Office arrested Montiel, who faces 10 counts of possession of child pornography, booking records show. He was granted $100,000 bond and bonded out of jail Friday evening.
According to an affidavit for Montiel’s arrest warrant, the sheriff’s office began investigating him upon being notified by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that suspected child pornography had been sent to an IP address associated with him. Seminole County detectives would eventually secure a search warrant for Montiel’s iPhone, which the report notes had at one point been wiped to factory settings. Through an extraction of the phone, as well as an examination of Montiel’s iCloud and Snapchat accounts, at least 10 videos discovered within matched the criteria for child pornography, according to the affidavit.
Friday’s arrest marks the fourth just this week of a Central Florida law enforcement officer. The other three LEO arrests noted in the trend include:
- Volusia County Deputy Stephen Corbin, arrested Wednesday on allegations of holding a woman against her will inside a marked patrol car and demanding a sex act.
- Volusia County Corrections Lt. Jonathan Harding, arrested this week on allegations of sexual misconduct with an inmate.
- Orange County Sheriff’s Office Cpl. Oxilise Jeannot, accused of grand theft and scheme to defraud.
On Sunday, an Osceola County firefighter was also arrested, accused of sexually assaulting a girl in a Brevard County bathroom.
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