News and Investigations

A former Lake Alfred City Commissioner who was arrested on April 18, 2024 by Computer Crimes detectives from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office had an additional 2,896 counts of Enhanced Possession of Child Pornography (F2) filed against him Tuesday, April 30, following a forensic examination of his electronic storage devices.

90-year old Charles Lake is now facing a total of 3,196 felony charges.

Following Lake’s original arrest, a PCSO forensic technician examined all of his electronic storage devices that were seized as evidence during a search of his residence. 

The technician recovered 2,896 video and image files depicting pornographic sexual abuse images of children between the ages of six months to twelve years old, and engaged in graphic sexual conduct with adults, children, and animals. 

Detectives discovered that Mr. Lake had a very “compartmentalized” system of organizing and categorizing the thousands of child sex abuse images he had. Found on his computers and electronic storage devices were: child rape images and videos with adults sexually abusing (raping) children, children engaged in graphic sexual conduct with other children, bestiality with children, and child pornography that displayed children in lewd and sexually explicit situations. Lake had other “adult” pornographic images and videos that included transgenderism and bestiality.

“Charles Lake is a public official with a dark, twisted involvement with the exploitative child pornography trade. In the past, he has done photography for the city and local schools, and has assisted people with their computers. We are asking if anyone is aware of or witnessed any inappropriate interactions, images, or involvement associated with Charles Lake to contact the Polk County Sheriff’s Office at 863-298-6200.” – Grady Judd, Sheriff.

Per Florida State Statutes, possession of child pornography is reclassified to the next higher degree (enhanced), if the offender possesses ten or more images of any form of child pornography regardless of content; and the content of at least one image contains one or more of the following: a child younger than the age of 5, sadomasochistic abuse involving a child, sexual battery involving a child, sexual bestiality involving a child, or any movie involving a child.