Ex-Firefighter Wanted by FBI for Child Porn May Have Faked His Death, Investigators Say
Federal authorities say the case began with a tip and that investigators found child sexual abuse material on his iPhone and through Kik.
- On Tuesday, the FBI's San Francisco office announced that Charles Johnathen Harris, a former Alameda County Fire Department firefighter, may have staged his 2023 drowning death while facing federal child pornography charges.
- Federal prosecutors indicted Harris in March 2023 for possessing child pornography linked to Kik uploads at fire stations, before he reportedly drowned in Suisun Bay on April 4, 2023.
- Authorities describe Harris, 46, as 5 feet 10 inches tall and weighing about 220 pounds, with red hair, blue eyes, and "light" burn scars on his hands; he uses aliases "Chuck Harris" and "Charlie Harris."
- The FBI is searching for the suspect on a warrant for failing to appear in court; legal analyst Steven Clark warned that "anyone harboring Mr. Harris or assisting him in anyway could face a federal felony of up to five years in prison."
- Legal analyst Clark noted that evading detection long-term remains difficult, stating "the feds are going to look for signs of life—has he communicated with relatives in any type of way?" while the FBI urges the public to submit tips.
53 Articles
53 Articles
Firefighter Accused of Sharing CSAM May Have Faked Death
A onetime California firefighter who was thinking to have driven three years ago is back on the FBI's radar. Agents say Charles Johnathen Harris, reported in March 2023 on federal charges of possessing child sexual abuse images, may have staged his own death in Susun Bay to avoid a potential...
EXPOSED: FBI Says Former California Firefighter May Have FAKED His Own Death to Dodge Child Sex Abuse Material Charges
Federal authorities are renewing the search for Charles Johnathen Harris, a former Alameda County firefighter who vanished in Suisun Bay weeks after his indictment on a federal child sexual abuse material charge. The FBI now says his drowning may have been staged.
FBI Says Former Alameda County Firefighter Likely Faked His Own Death Following Child Porn Charge
The Federal Bureau of Investigation in San Francisco has issued an update on a man who remains wanted on charges of possession of child pornography, who failed to appear in court in 2023 after charges were filed because, his brother says, he drowned while fishing in Suisun Bay.
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