Fire Law Blog Fire Service and Public Safety Legal Issues Blog by Curt Varone

Virginia Beach Firefighter Facing Child Porn Charges

Posted by: Curt Varone October 20, 2022 0

A Virginia Beach firefighter is facing federal child porn charges following an investigation that connected his IP to a firehouse. Douglas France is accused of possession and distribution of child pornography.

The charges result from a joint investigation by the US Department of Homeland Security and the Virginia Beach Police Department. Law enforcement was tipped off by the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that a certain Kik account has downloaded a large number of pornographic images of children, some as young as four years old.

Investigators were able to connect France’s IP address to the Kik account, and to a Virginia Beach fire station.

About Curt Varone

Curt Varone has over 40 years of fire service experience and 30 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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Curt Varone has over 40 years of fire service experience and 30 as a practicing attorney licensed in both Rhode Island and Maine. His background includes 29 years as a career firefighter in Providence (retiring as a Deputy Assistant Chief), as well as volunteer and paid on call experience. He is the author of two books: Legal Considerations for Fire and Emergency Services, (2006, 2nd ed. 2011, 3rd ed. 2014, 4th ed. 2022) and Fire Officer's Legal Handbook (2007), and is a contributing editor for Firehouse Magazine writing the Fire Law column.

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