Florida Officer of the Year Arrested On Child Porn Charges

In 2011, former Florida officer Michael Harding was named "Officer of the Year" while working at the Fort Pierce Police Department. Now, the once "accomplished" officer is involved in an ongoing criminal case after being charged with sending and receiving child pornography.

Harding left Fort Pierce in bad standing for a position at Port St. Lucie in 2012, leaving him on bad terms with Fort Pierce. Homeland Security investigators discovered that the 27-year-old father of three has been uploading explicit posts to a Kik chatroom entitled "#toddlerf***" during his shifts at Port St. Lucie since July 23. During a search through the married man's home they also discovered hundreds of photos showing underage boys and girls "between about pre-school age and prepubescence" on a thumb-drive hidden in his home's gun case, according to investigators.

The former officer is currently being held in jail without bond, as he is now viewed as a danger to the community. After claiming he only has $3,000 in his bank account, Harding was also given a court-appointed public defender and has been placed on administrative leave without pay.

Because of the ongoing investigation, Homeland Security could not release anymore information at this time. "These charges are very serious and I think it goes without saying that this type of behavior will not and is not tolerated in this department," stated Port St. Lucie Police Chief John Bolduc.