FBI Agent, Army Reserves Col. charged with sex crimes against children in Florida
An FBI agent who investigated sex crimes against children has been arrested and charged with multiple sex crimes against children across several states, according to the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
Deputies said Supervisory Special Agent David Harris was tasked with investigating crimes against children,
including child pornography. But in February of this year, he was accused of exposing himself to a 14-year-old girl in a “lewd and lascivious manner,” while on vacation in St. George Island.
“In the course of this investigation, evidence was obtained that led to other felony crimes committed by Harris of a sexual nature with minors and adults in the States of Louisiana and Texas, five jurisdictions and three states in all,” deputies wrote. “Records were obtained from Harris’ issued government electronic devices finding conversation excerpts from Harris claiming his sexual preference to underage females and admitting to his exploits (including the St George Island incident).”
I can’t see any reason why this would be surprising. Sex and sexuality isn’t the same as drugs, gangs or murder. Unfortunately I can see how it can be very easy for people who investigate this activity to fall into the same patterns and actions. If they are not carefully monitored and supported by their employers and families their thinking can become easily affected by what they see in their daily investigations. It is much more difficult to temper sexuality than it is to temper other addictions. And other addictions tend to be more easily addressed and treated. Employers need better debriefing and counseling for their people.
logical.
Drug and alcohol addictions are not tempered any easier than sexual addictions. Nor are they more easily treatable compared to sexual addictions. The shame and stigma of sexual addiction, makes it less likely that people will get help. There are groups out there modeled after AA, Sexaholics Anonymous for example, that exist to help people recover from sexual addiction. The number of face to face meetings is probably far less than AA.
It is a weak rational that someone working to stop sexual crimes can be easily tempted or worn down by continued exposure. Using that rational suggests that people who serve and manufacture alcohol are more predisposed to becoming alcoholics.
Or maybe those who have a sex “addiction” should partner up with someone who also desires a lot of sex. Wouldn’t that be a happy couple?
I honestly take issue with this idea of being “addicted” to sex. Sex is a NATURAL human behavior. And it feels good. So yeah, I can totally see how many people would like it more often.
I cannot compare sex to an addiction like drugs, alcohol or tobacco. Why? Well, because drugs, alcohol and tobacco are not something we would even desire if it were never introduced to us to begin with. Your sexuality vs a substance you put into your body are two different things.
The word addiction runs the risk of being both overused and misused. There are those that rink alcohol who never develop the dependency that “addicts” share with one another. Yes, sex is a base instinct. But at some point the behaviors of someone sexually active can become detrimental to their health and well being. And that suggests an addiction, that the person pursues sexual gratification above all other needs. Our bodies release endorphins and other chemicals to bring about pleasurable feelings. Since we neither inhale, swallow, or inject sex, the pathways to sexual gratification are the difference.
Or perhaps his proclivities were why he took the job in the first place. I agree with much of what you said, but I thought I’d offer an alternative.
Veritas.
He’s in a Louisiana jail, where they really like FBI agents charged with such things. He’ll be just fine, treated like a prince, nothing to worry about.
No one is innocent. It’s just that some have not been caught.
Sounds like a real classy image of law enforcement. Maybe instead of creating crimes, they should focus on the criminals in their department. New meaning of Serve and Protect by serving and protecting their image, while disservice to the public.
It will be interesting to see if they offer him a sweet plea deal to a lesser charge, a common occurrence where law enforcement persons are accused of sex crimes. The preferential treatment they receive from the justice system is a crime in itself in my opinion.
What is that saying ? “When the fox is guarding the Hen house?”
I believe he will play it off as he was only doing his job and those actions created by him we’re in the interest of catching Sex offenders and not something he would ordinarily do…just a thought.
Once again someone who is in a position of authority, and is N-O-T on the registry, commits a despicable act. But, since he’s a member of law enforcement, he’ll probably get probation. That’s just the way it is.
Lobo, you’re wrong about LE getting off easy. In fact, the courts more often than not make an example out of them. Just recently, a Clay County deputy was given 30 year sentence in federal prison for a CP offense similar to the one I served almost 10 years for committing.
I knew a policeman who got 30 years for a sexual assault.
Not Cynical
In Today’s environment, you are probably correct. Back in the day when I was in law enforcement, cops buried evidence, destroyed proof, hid the truth, lied etc. One of the reasons I finally left, I was disgusted with all the things they got away with.
The Rodney King incident did away with departments using Pr-24’s (Military grade night sticks). I saw so many people beaten with those just for mouthing off to an officer. Then the officers would brag and joke about how they “Broke that mother *uckers jaw”.
I mean, in all reality, some of them for sure deserved an beating, but I saw lots of homeless people getting their heads kicked in, old people pushed down stairs during evictions because they were not moving fast enough. And the written incident reports rarely told the entire truth with so much left out, change or redacted.
I could not continue watching things like this knowing if I snitched, God only knows what would have happened to me. So sadly the career I wanted to love, turned out to be a nightmare.
Thank God I was not still in law enforcement when I got arrested, although they were aware that I was a former cop when I got snagged.
I think corrections officers get away with a lot more than street cops today because they inmates do not have cameras to film the evidence like they citizens on the streets do.
And here’s a case from July of this year where an officer received only probation for possession of child porn:
https://www.kmbc.com/article/former-kansas-city-police-officer-sentenced-to-probation-in-child-porn-case/37039698#
The truth is, more often than not, police officers and politicians DO get treated better by the justice system than do ordinary citizens. If you can afford a good lawyer, you are also likely to get a better sentence.
Non Cynical’s comment DOES point out another problem with the justice system in this country. There is very little consistency in sentencing from one court to another. My attorney visibly rolled his eyes when he learned which judge was going to preside over my case. The other judge in my county was MUCH more lenient. Attorneys representing police officers often move for a change in venue to somewhere other than where the officer works and lives, arguing that the case should be heard by a judge who doesn’t know the officer. Those attorneys are skilled at choosing a venue that is favorable. An ordinary citizen rarely gets the chance to venue shop.
This is tragic but I believe not an isolated case. Those in law enforcement who are exposed to sexually explicit materials during their investigations are NOT immune to their affects!
Robert, I don’t believe policemen are somehow induced to commit sex crimes by exposure to these materials. If that were true, police would be robbing banks or committing other types of crimes. Asserting that their environments were the cause is partially absolving them of their responsibility. I once asked a PhD psychologist–an expert in this field–about the psychology of persons who choose to investigate child sex crimes. She just rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Veritas.
Robert that is is absurd and proven wrong. It is the same argument as violence in video games/movies or music. Individuals who are drawn to that are the ones who get into the field. They already have an interest in deviant behavior and that is why no one is really surprised anymore when yet another law enforcement person is busted for doing exactly what they busted people for doing.
Why not take a short cut and simply investigate all the police who are working in the sex offender area. Save some time!
AWA really protects children
I remember reading about cops having sex in their patrol cars even with prostitutes and nothing happened to them. Guess they were just keeping the big O safe. Omaha wasn’t even a big city back then.