Polk County fire captain faces child porn charges

Brian Steger(Polk County Sheriff's Office)
Published: Aug. 10, 2022 at 1:48 PM EDT

LAKE WALES, Fla. (WWSB) - A Polk County fire captain has been arrested for downloading child pornography on a fire station computer, authorities said.

Polk County Sheriff’s Office detectives arrested Capt. Brian Steger, 40, and charged him with 25 counts of possession of child pornography and one count of promotion of child pornography.

Detectives got a tip Aug. 7 and responded to a fire station in Lake Wales, where Steger was on duty, a news release said. When confronted, Steger resigned rather than being fired, the release said.

Steger, who had been a firefighter since 2003, allegedly told detectives he had set up an internet account in his name at the fire station for his personal use. When detectives found the computer, it was actively downloading pornographic files, deputies said.

Detectives found 25 files depicting children as young as 5 years old being sexually battered, the sheriff’s office said.

All of his electronic devices were seized by investigators. Steger is currently in the Polk County Jail and has no bond.

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