A U.S. Department of State employee was arrested Tuesday morning in Broward County on a federal charge of possessing child pornography.
FBI agents took Peter Meyers, 53, into custody at the home he rented in Margate.
Investigators said he came to their attention in February when they identified an Internet address in Broward County that was sharing computer files depicting the sexual abuse and exploitation of underage children.
“Law enforcement successfully completed the download of 50 video files and eight image files depicting child pornography that the computer … was making available,” agents wrote in the criminal complaint unsealed Tuesday.
Some of the files were named “Bedtime Rape” and “Camping Tent Incest” and showed girls, including toddlers and a 6- and 9-year-old, being sexually abused, according to descriptions of the videos.
On Tuesday, agents seized two laptop computers and an iPad from the home where Meyers said he lived alone. They said they found more child pornography, depicting the sexual abuse of underage boys and girls on those computers. Meyers said the computers were for personal use, agents said.
Meyers told agents he used a file-sharing network to download movies but then asked if he could speak with an attorney, according to court records.
According to his Facebook and LinkedIn pages, Meyers has worked as a security technical specialist for the U.S. Department of State since 2003. His work duties included testing security systems, assisting in the technical aspects of criminal investigations and traveling to overseas embassies and consulates, according to his online resume.
The Miami office, where he is assigned, referred questions about his employment to the press office in Washington, D.C. Department of State officials confirmed an employee had been arrested and said the department and the Bureau of Diplomatic Security are cooperating with federal and local authorities on the investigation.
“The employee’s security clearance will be suspended and he will be put on administrative leave while this proceeds through any judicial process. We are following standard procedure in this case,” the official said, declining further comment on the case.
Meyers worked neutralizing mines for the U.S. Navy between 1979 and 2003, he wrote on LinkedIn.
Meyers, dressed in jeans and a black hooded top, was handcuffed and shackled during his appearance in federal court in Fort Lauderdale. He took several minutes to read the criminal complaint in court and told U.S. Magistrate Judge Patrick Hunt that he understood the allegations against him.
“Probably, sir,” he replied when asked if he had enough money to hire a lawyer.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Catherine Koontz told the judge that prosecutors want Meyers locked up without bond while the case against him is pending. If he is convicted, the maximum penalty is 20 years in federal prison and a fine.
Meyers is scheduled to return to court Friday for a detention hearing and will announce if he is fighting the charges at his March 17 arraignment. He will remain locked up in the Broward County Main Jail until a judge rules on the prosecution’s request.
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