Collier County deputy fired after arrest for possession of child porn

Writer: Derrick Shaw
Published: Updated:
Collier County Sheriff's Office badge (WINK News)
Credit: WINK News

A Collier County deputy was fired after his arrest Saturday night on 100 counts of possession of child pornography.

Rashaad A. Smith, 41, has been with the agency since 2005.

Rashaad Smith (Credit: CCSO Facebook)

Smith was arrested at his home late Saturday after a search warrant was served and evidence was seized. The CCSO arrest report states that the agency received “three cybertips from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from Microsoft about the transmission of child pornography on Skype.”

A search of Smith’s laptop revealed more than 100 videos of children ranging from 3 to 10 years old engaging in sex acts with each other and adults, the report stated.

The Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE) is assisting in the investigation and CCSO said further charges may be added.

“The justice system will determine the outcome of this case but due to the heinous nature of these allegations, I ordered the immediate withdrawal of this person’s appointment as a member of the Collier County Sheriff’s Office,” Sheriff Kevin Rambosk said in a statement. “I know and appreciate that our community expects that when a deputy is charged with crimes like these, they are immediately fired from their position of authority and they do not continue to receive compensation from our tax dollars.”

Florida law prohibits the release of Smith’s booking photo. He was in custody at the Collier County Jail but has since been moved to Lee County for safety reasons.

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