Former Dunnellon resident and middle school teacher arrested in Lake County on child pornography charges
According to a press release by the Citrus County Sheriff's Office (CCSO), Jeffrey Scott Brake, 52, a former resident of Citrus Springs (Dunnellon), Florida resident, was arrested, November 23, 2021 in Lake County, Florida on a Citrus County warrant for 13 counts of possession of child pornography.
Earlier in 2021, the CCSO investigated information received from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC) concerning child pornography. Detective Tiffany Barry with CCSO's High Tech Crimes Unit (HTCU) traced the transmission of the child pornography images to a Citrus Springs residence owned and occupied by Brake.
A search warrant was executed at Brake's residence on August 9, 2021. Brake told detectives that he'd viewed child pornograpy, but no pornographic images or videos were immediately located. However, detectives located 1.8 grams of methamphetamine, 2.3 grams of heroin and 4.1 grams of fentanyl, along with numerous items of drug paraphernalia and several firearms. Brake was charged with trafficking in fentanyl, maintaining a residence for the purpose of trafficking in a controlled substance, possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of drug paraphernalia. He was jailed at the Citrus County Detention Facility and later released on bond.
Detective Barry continued the investigation on Mr. Brake and located numerous images of child pornography in electronic storage devices belonging to Brake, On Nov. 22, 2021, an arrest warrant was issued for Brake, who was living outside of Citrus County at the time. Brake was arrested on the Citrus County warrant by the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Nov. 23, and transported to the Lake County Jail in Tavares, FL, with his bond set at $195,000. His first court appearance is scheduled for Dec. 10, 2021.
According to the Lake County Sheriff's Office, Brake was arrested by the Eustis Police Department, Nov 18, 2021, charged with possession of cocaine and possession of drug paraphernalia, and on Nov. 19, he was released on $3,000 bond. At the time of his Nov. 18 arrest, Brake's address was listed as Leesburg, Florida.
Prior to his August 9 arrest, Mr. Brake had been a community soccer coach and a teacher at Citrus Springs Middle School.
"The exploitation of children, especially in the form of child pornography, are among the most monstrous crimes we encounter," said Citrus County Sheriff Mike Prendergast. "This particular case is more disturbing by the fact that Brake was a teacher and children's soccer coach, both roles of trust that our youth would seek guidance and support from. I commend Detective Barry for her diligence and perseverance in this important investigation to protect our youth and seek justice in these horrific cases."