Attorney General James Uthmeier announces charges against three Florida men for possessing disturbing child sexual abuse material

Tallahassee, Florida – Attorney General James Uthmeier announced serious charges against three Florida men following a statewide operation targeting child sexual abuse material. The men — Travis Montgomery from Manatee County, Kevin Sheffield from Collier County, and Jason Grant Harrison from Hendry County — are each facing multiple counts of possession of child sexual abuse material (CSAM) as a result of coordinated efforts between the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) and the Office of Statewide Prosecution.

“These arrests reflect our ongoing commitment to child protection. If you are trying to prey on kids, we are watching, and we are coming for you,” said Attorney General James Uthmeier. “Thanks to our partners at FDLE, these pedophiles now face our Statewide Prosecutors, who will ensure they are held accountable for their crimes. We will continue working hard to defend children and make our home safe, strong, and free.”

FDLE Commissioner Mark Glass echoed the gravity of the arrests and reinforced the agency’s unwavering focus on protecting children. “FDLE has long led the charge in investigating child sexual abuse material and exploitation cases,” said Commissioner Glass. “The individuals here are accused of preying on the most innocent and vulnerable among us—children who are too often victimized in horrific, unimaginable ways. Let me be clear: if you exploit or harm a child in Florida, FDLE will find you and we will hold you accountable.”

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The charges stem from a multi-county investigation that revealed disturbing patterns of online exploitation.

In the case of Travis Montgomery, authorities uncovered communications between him and a person in the state of Washington. Investigators allege the individual sent images of their own young children to Montgomery. As a result, Montgomery faces six counts of possession of CSAM, one count of soliciting sexual images from a parent or guardian, and one count of consumer product tampering. Investigators are also preparing to file additional charges related to possession and distribution of pornography involving bestiality.

Kevin Sheffield came under scrutiny during an FDLE investigation into illegal file sharing on the BitTorrent network — a common tool used by offenders to distribute CSAM. Sheffield is charged with 10 counts of possession of CSAM. Authorities believe he downloaded hundreds of illegal images since 2022. Devices seized from Sheffield allegedly contained more than 10 explicit images involving children.

Jason Grant Harrison is accused of downloading, and then attempting to delete, multiple files depicting child sexual abuse. According to FDLE, forensic analysis confirmed that CSAM files were accessed and removed. Harrison is now charged with three counts of possession of CSAM.

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Assistant Statewide Prosecutor Agnieszka Thomas has been assigned to prosecute all three cases. Legal proceedings will take place in the appropriate jurisdictions, and further updates are expected as investigations progress.

Florida authorities continue to urge the public to report any suspicious online activity involving children. The Attorney General’s office emphasized that protecting children from exploitation remains one of its top priorities.

As law enforcement agencies expand their technological capabilities and cooperation across states, officials remain committed to pursuing justice for victims and ensuring that those who engage in child exploitation face the full force of the law.