FORT MYERS, Fla. — In response to a rising wave of child abuse cases across Southwest Florida, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced the arrests of three men charged with possessing and distributing child sexual abuse material.
Kevin Sheffield of Naples, Jason Harrison of Jacksonville, and Travis Montgomery of Bradenton were all arrested this week on various charges related to disturbing child pornography offenses. Some of the images involved children under the age of 10.
“These charges go far beyond simple possession of inappropriate photos,” Uthmeier stated. “This material is horrific and deeply harmful. Every time these images are viewed, the abuse is repeated.”
Travis Montgomery faces eight felony counts in Manatee County, including six for child pornography, one for soliciting an image from a parent or guardian, and one for tampering with a consumer product. If convicted, he could serve up to 75 years in prison.
Jason Harrison, currently awaiting extradition from Duval County to Hendry County, is charged with three counts of child pornography possession and faces up to 15 years. Kevin Sheffield faces the steepest potential sentence—150 years—for ten counts of possessing images of children under 10 in Collier County.
Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Agnieszka Thomas emphasized that some suspects attempted to delete or hide digital evidence before their arrests.
The crackdown comes amid a dramatic rise in reported child abuse cases in Lee County. According to Alicia Shannon, CEO of the Children’s Advocacy Center, over 6,500 services were provided last year to children affected by abuse, including sexual abuse and medical neglect.
“These kinds of trauma affect every part of a child’s life—from their emotional and mental health to their brain development and ability to build relationships,” Shannon said.
Law enforcement credits improved investigative technology for helping identify suspects more effectively, but also warned that digital platforms provide predators with greater anonymity.
Uthmeier specifically highlighted a recent arrest involving the Roblox gaming platform, where a suspect allegedly used the app to solicit abusive images.
“Technology is making it easier for predators to find victims,” Uthmeier warned. “Parents need to be extremely vigilant about their children’s online activity.”
Authorities expect more arrests as investigations continue into online platforms and digital abuse.
