TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WCTV) – A Texas deputy arrested in a Leon County Sheriff’s Office undercover investigation pleaded not guilty on March 4, according to court documents.
John Fredrick Black, 46, was arrested in Texas on a warrant issued by LCSO in January after he sent obscene material to what he thought was a 13-year-old online.
John Black makes his first court appearance in Houston at the end of January.
At the time of his arrest, Black was employed as a sergeant at the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, per LCSO. He’s worked for the law enforcement organization since 2003. WCTV’s CBS affiliate in Houston reports Black has been temporarily relieved of duty while his sheriff’s office conducts an internal investigation.
Black faces multiple charges, including distribution of obscene material to a minor, unlawful use of a computer to seduce, solicit or lure a child and unlawful use of a two-way communications device, according to the sheriff’s office.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office is also charging Black with attempting to send obscene material to minors. He faces up to ten years in federal prison if he’s convicted.
His trial has been scheduled for May 4 in Tallahassee.
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