Once award-winning cop held on child porn charges

An award-winning Florida police officer was charged Wednesday with distributing and receiving child pornography after an undercover investigation. 

Port St. Lucie Officer Michael Harding, who once won the award for "Officer of the Year," is accused of posting explicit images online through a smartphone app Kik, NBC News reported. Location data showed he was in his police cruiser on duty at the time.

Further investigation led to a thumb drive in Harding's home containing "hundreds of images and videos of children engaged in sexually explicit conduct," inside a gun case in his bedroom closet.

"If these allegations are true, this is very disturbing," Port St. Lucie Police Chief John Bolduc told WPTV.

The married father of three was named "Officer of the Year" in 2011 while employed by the Fort Pierce police department. Harding has been an officer with Port St. Lucie since 2012. 

Contact Kristen DeSilva at kdesilva@reviewjournal.com.  Find her on Twitter: @kristendesilva