A 75-year-old Sebastian resident, Arnold William Flannery, was arrested early Tuesday on charges related to child pornography, as confirmed by Indian River County Sheriff Eric Flowers.
The arrest took place at Flannery’s residence, located at the 4100 block of Limerick Court in Sebastian, where law enforcement officials took him into custody. He has since been booked at the Indian River County Jail and is being held on a $240,000 bond.
Flannery was actively involved as a Sebastian Police Volunteer and had also served as a volunteer at the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office.
Chief Daniel Acosta expressed profound concern for the victims of such crimes, particularly children, stating, “The safety and well-being of our community’s children are of utmost importance. The behavior alleged in this case is abhorrent and will not be tolerated by anyone, regardless of their position. Our thoughts are with the victims, and we are committed to ensuring justice is served.”
“We received information that he was uploading and downloading child pornography,” Sheriff Flowers told Sebastian Daily.
Following a tip, authorities conducted a search at Flannery’s residence, where evidence pertaining to child pornography was discovered. Flannery now faces 50 counts of child pornography charges.
“Additional charges could be pending,” Flowers said.
Sebastian Daily provide further updates to this developing story.