JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Update: Lawshe's charges were dropped on Dec. 27, 2023 and he is pursuing legal action against multiple parties.
A former Florida Fish and Wildlife Officer has been arrested by the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for possession of child pornography.
Officer William Lee Lawshe was arrested on April 12, according to FWC. He resigned before he was terminated.
Lawshe faces three counts of possession of child sexual abuse material. He was arrested after SJCSO received a tip that Lawshe uploaded child sexual abuse material. Three files which depict two different children in a sexually explicit manner were linked to Lawshe's cell phone, according to the arrest warrant.
Lawshe had been with FWC since 2008. He was recognized as "Officer of the Year" in 2014, as shown in an old FWC Facebook Post.
"These charges are detestable to me and all of our employees and in no way reflect our values as an agency,” said Col. Roger Young, Director of the FWC Division of Law Enforcement.
“As both a law enforcement officer and a father, I’m angered by the allegations connected with this arrest. He has betrayed the oath that all law enforcement officers take to protect the public and he will be held accountable for his actions. I’d like to thank St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office for their hard work on this case.”
