Local Man Arrested For Possession of Child Pornography

BAY COUNTY, FL - Bay County Sheriff Tommy Ford announced today the arrest of Frankie Nelson Stephenson on charges relating to the possession of an image containing the sexual performance of a child. Stephenson is the Chief Education Officer at Bay Haven Charter Academy.

During the course of another investigation involving child pornography, another messaging account was found to be communicating with the target of that investigation. Child Pornography was found in the messages between the two, as well as information that the user of that account was also a Bay County resident. A month-long investigation identified the owner of that account as a Panama City Beach resident. 

This afternoon BCSO investigators, along with Homeland Security Investigations agents, served a search warrant on the Panama City Beach home of Frankie Nelson Stephenson, age 55. During the search of Stephenson's electronic devices, an image was found depicting at least one known minor child in a sexual manner. No evidence has been found at this time to involve any student at Bay Haven Charter Academy.

Stephenson was taken into custody and charged with Possession of the Image of Sexual Performance of a Child. He was booked into the Bay County Jail and will go to first appearance tomorrow.