Manatee EMS Deputy Chief Arrested In Child Sex Abuse Case: Sheriff

MANATEE COUNTY, FL — A Manatee County Emergency Services deputy chief has been arrested in a child sex abuse investigation, the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release.

Zachary Molnar, 46, who serves a deputy chief of operations and EMS shift commander, was charged with lewd and lascivious conduct, the agency said.

The MCSO Internet Crimes Against Children Unit received a tip from the FBI’s Florida field office on Thursday about a case involving child sexual abuse material linked to a suspected in another jurisdiction.

During an examination of that suspect’s device, investigators discovered several images and videos of a man engaging in lewd acts with a child, MCSO said. The FBI then identified the man in the footage as Molnar.

Investigators obtained a search warrant for Molnar’s home, and when the warrant was executed, they confirmed that he was the person in the images alongside a child under 14 years old.

Interviews with the victim revealed Molnar had committed lewd acts within the past few months, the sheriff’s office said.

Detectives also found evidence that the abuse appears to have been ongoing for several years.

Molnar was arrested and taken to the Manatee County Jail.

The investigation is ongoing, and detectives are working to determine whether additional charges will be filed.

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