BAKER COUNTY, Fla. – A retired Lake City officer and church youth leader was arrested after the Florida Department of Law Enforcement received a tip about someone uploading child porn to the internet.
Kevin Michael Morrison, 68, was arrested and charged with eight counts of possession of child sexual abuse material.
Morrison is retired as a police officer with the Florida Gateway College Public Service Training Center in Lake City. He’s also a former church photographer and a youth leader.
The National Center for Mission and Exploited Children (NCMEC) sent the FDLE a tip on May 26 about someone uploading child sexual abuse material to the internet.
Through an investigation, the FDLE identified Morrison as the user.
Two months later, the FDLE and the Baker County Sheriff’s Office searched his home and his job and found eight digital files of child sexual abuse material.
According to an arrest report, the child sexual abuse material was uploaded in January 2022.
Jennifer Newman, the executive director of NCMEC’s Exploited Children Division said last year, the organization received 32 million cyber tips, showing how widespread online sexual exploitation is.
“We take reports from the general public and also from electronic service providers who make reports to us about everything from online enticement to child sexual abuse material to child molestation,” Newman said. “Really anything that could be perceived as sexual exploitation of minors.”
In 2022, the FDLE received more than 57,000 reports related to the possession, distribution or production of child sexual abuse.
Newman said child exploitation is hard to spot, especially for those who would seem to be safe around children.
“We often call the victims of child sexual exploitation victims hiding in plain sight, because they’re normally right where they should be with people they should be with,” Newman said. “Unfortunately, at times, these are the exact people that actually end up betraying the children.”
Parents are urged to instill confidence into their children to make the right choices and keep communication open.
Secure Florida has tips for parents to help keep children safe online.