By Carter Weinhofer
The Bradenton Herald
MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — The Manatee County Sheriff’s Office arrested a deputy chief with Manatee County EMS after an FBI investigation linked him to child sex abuse images, investigators say.
Zachary Molnar, 46, faces one charge of lewd and lascivious conduct. The FBI’s Florida field office contacted the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Internet Crimes Against Children Unit Thursday about an investigation involving Molnar, who was the deputy chief of operations and EMS shift commander.
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A spokesperson for Manatee County Government said Molnar is no longer employed with the county.
Authorities say that, during an investigation of another suspect’s device, several images and videos depicted another man “engaging in lewd acts with a child.” Investigators said evidence led the FBI to believe the man in the footage with a child under the age of 14 year old was Molnar.
After carrying out a search warrant, authorities confirmed Molnar was the individual in the images.
“Interviews with the victim revealed that Molnar had committed lewd acts within the past few months,” a release from the sheriff’s office stated. “Detectives also found evidence indicating that the abuse appears to have been ongoing for several years.”
The investigation is ongoing and may lead to additional charges, according to the sheriff’s office.
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