SEBASTIAN — Sheriff’s detectives arrested a Sebastian police volunteer after they searched his home and found dozens of images depicting child pornography on a flash drive he owned, officials said. Arnold William Flannery Jr., who served as a volunteer since 2022, was no longer affiliated with the Sebastian Police Department as of Tuesday, said police Capt. Tim Wood.
“The safety and well-being of our community’s children are of upmost importance,” Sebastian police Chief Daniel Acosta said in a statement. “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.”
As a police volunteer, Flannery helped with road closures, house watches, funeral escorts and courier services, Wood said.
Flannery, 75, of the 4100 block of Limerick Court, Sebastian, was charged with 50 counts of child pornography, said Sgt. Kevin Jaworski, a spokesperson with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office. Flannery was held Tuesday at the Indian River County Jail without bond.
Sheriff’s detectives, working alongside the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force Program, began investigating the case in March after officials discovered that explicit images of 4-to-8 year olds were downloaded on a device at Flannery’s residence. Detectives and Sebastian police searched Flannery’s home Tuesday morning, where they found the pictures on Flannery’s flash drive, Jaworski said.
Detectives seized several other electronic devices belonging to Flannery from the residence. Jaworski said detectives continue to search through the other devices.
“More charges are expected as detectives search through each device,” Jaworski said.
