LAKE WALES, Fla. — A Polk County firefighter has resigned after being charged with 22 counts of child pornography possession.
- Richard Parr, 49, arrested at his home
- He resigned from Polk County Fire Rescue after arrest
- Investigation started with tip in early March
Richard Parr, 49, of Lake Wales, was arrested Monday, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office.
The investigation started March 6 with a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. Images of children were flagged to an IP address at his home, authorities said.
"The images depicted boys and girls between the approximate ages of 5 and 15 years old. The children were displayed in a lewd manner with adults and/or other children," the Sheriff's Office said in a news release.
A search warrant was executed Monday at Parr's home. He was arrested there, and several electronic and digital storage devices were seized.
"People in public trust positions are held to a higher standard and we expect better from them," Sheriff Grady Judd said. "The person we arrested is in a profession that a lot of kids look up to as a role model."
Among the devices investigators seized were Parr's computers, cell phone and digital devices. If more child pornography images are found on those devices, Parr could face additional charges.
According to Sheriff's Office spokesperson Brian Bruchey, Parr told investigators he was searching for "regular" porn and found child porn.
"[Parr] said he viewed it, but he said he wasn't looking for it," Bruchey explained. "However, he went back to that same website at a later time."
Parr's bond was set at $110,000 — $5,000 per count of child pornography possession.
Parr resigned immediately after he was arrested.
Richard Parr (Photo from Polk County Sheriff's Office