William Britt, a Monroe County, Florida substitute teacher, was arrested Thursday after police allegedly found child pornography in his home, news sources indicate. Britt, 55, was booked into the Monroe County Jail on 123 counts of possessing child pornography. It is unclear whether a bail bond was set. It is also not yet known whether he has retained a hired a lawyer.
Reports say Britt has worked at a number of schools throughout South Florida. Prior to his arrest, he had applied for a substitute teaching position at the Glynn R. Archer Elementary School in Key West, though there is no indication that he actually ever worked in this capacity. So far, police have no reason to believe that Britt abused any children while working as an educator.
Britt's landlord reportedly evicted him from a residence in Cudjoe Key prior to the arrest. The landlord said he was kicking Britt out because Britt had failed to maintain the home. At some point while Britt was moving out, the property owner reportedly noticed printed images of young children in sexual situations in a box. The property owner, disturbed by his alleged discovery, reported Britt to the police. It is not clear whether he actually talked to Britt about the photos beforehand.
Britt moved out and took up residence in a RV at Sigsbee Naval Air Station. Police arrested him on Thursday following a traffic stop. After pulling Britt over, they reportedly searched his van and found two firearms: a handgun and a shotgun. It is unclear whether Britt had a license for the firearms.
During the investigation, Britt reportedly surrendered more than 120 pornographic images involving children to detectives. Britt also allegedly admitted to having more child pornography on his computer and a number of flash drives. Though he works closely with young children, Britt says he has never physically abused a child. Reports say he told investigators that he knew having the images was not normal.
Britt was not the only Florida man arrested for possession of child pornography recently. Nicholas Eaton Fogarty of Palm Beach Gardens, Florida was arrested Wednesday after a memory card containing child pornography was found in his vehicle, reports say. Fogarty, 30, was booked into the Palm Beach County Jail on seven counts of possession of child pornography. His bail was set at $70,000. It is unclear if he has hired legal representation.