Veteran Miami Dade County police sergeant, James Edwards, who was arrested last summer, is now also being charged with 12 counts of possessing child pornography. According to The Miami Herald:
The graphic videos, part of a collection of 69 videos that Miami-Dade Det. Juan Espana said were taken from James Edwards Ill’s personal computer, were found at his home after officers arrested him last August and charged him with lewd and lascivious conduct and exhibition. That case is still pending.
“The videos found depicted pornography involving young males naked and engaged in sexual acts, including oral and penile,” Espana wrote in a fact sheet supporting the arrest warrant.
As of Thursday night Miami-Dade police had not yet released an arrest affidavit, though Edwards’ defense attorney, Michael Catalano, confirmed that his client had been arrested and charged. Catalano, though, said he has not yet seen any of the evidence.
According to España, the detective who arrested Edwards last summer, the case was bolstered by a visit to the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, where Dr. Walter Lambert analyzed the videos and concluded they met the criteria for child pornography.
Police said that last August Edwards, 47, a 27-year police veteran, invited a teenager to his home to help do landscape work. There, he is alleged to have given the teen “honey whiskey,” pot, and the synthetic drug Molly before committing a sex act in front of him. The arrest affidavit said Edwards was wearing his police uniform when he picked up the teen.
The affidavit says while watching a porn movie at Edwards’ home, he began touching and caressing the teen, who grew uncomfortable when Edwards asked for oral sex. State prosecutor Laura Adams told the court that detectives were monitoring a phone call between the teen and Edwards when he admitted to the crime.
Edwards has been under house arrest since August, when he was granted an $85,500.00 bond.