BY DAN HILDEBRAN
The Florida Department of Law Enforcement said it arrested Benjamin Gerard Smith, 57, of Live Oak, and Donald Howard, 57, of Starke, on felony charges for possessing and transmitting child sexual abuse material on July 18.
The state agency said Smith and Howard are retired correctional officers.
“After retiring from his corrections position, Smith was terminated from his job at an elementary school following allegations of inappropriate contact with children,” FDLE said in a news release.
The inquiry of the Live Oak man began on June 3 when FDLE agents received a National Center for Missing and Exploited Children cyber tip that an account holder was sharing files depicting the sexual abuse of children.
The investigation identified Smith as the account holder residing in Suwanee County. Agents also located records showing Smith’s account sharing child sexual abuse material with another account holder, whom agents identified to be Howard, living in Bradford County.
On June 18, agents served separate warrants on Smith and Howard’s residences. The Bradford County Sheriff’s Office assisted in serving Howard’s warrant. Electronic devices were seized at both locations, and preliminary forensic exams of each of the suspects’ devices located multiple files of children being sexually abused.
Smith was arrested and booked into the Suwanee County Jail. Howard was arrested and booked into the Bradford County Jail. Additional charges are possible pending further forensic analysis.
