Crestview man arrested on 30 counts of child pornography

PANAMA CITY, Fla. (WJHG/WECP) - The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office has arrested a Crestview man on thirty counts of possession of child pornography and other charges following an investigation.

The suspect was determined to be 29-year-old Zachary Richard Heath Ward. He was found to be in possession of more than 700 files of child pornography and at least three files of bestiality.

In July of 2021, authorities say the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children received a tip involving the possession of child pornography. OSCO’s Internet Crimes Against Children Unit investigated the criminal complaint and in December of 2022 they executed a search warrant at a Crestview residence on Field Avenue.

OSCO along with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security discovered additional pieces of evidence.

A warrant was issued for Ward’s arrest and on April 27, 2023, Ward was taken into custody in Brevard County, Florida.

He is currently in the Okaloosa County Jail charged with 30 counts of Possession of Child Pornography, two counts of Transmission of Child Pornography, three counts of Bestiality, and the use of a two-way communication device to facility a felony