ALAMEDA COUNTY, CA — A former Alameda County firefighter may have faked his own death after being charged with possessing child pornography in 2023, the FBI said Tuesday.
Charles Johnathen Harris was indicted on federal charges in 2023 after the FBI received a tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children that led them to discover child pornography on his phone, according to the United States Department of Justice.
Harris also uploaded the photos, including some depicting prepubescent children, to the social media platform Kik, "even while present at fire stations in Alameda County," authorities said.
Harris turned himself in to federal authorities in March 2023 and was released on bond under the condition that his internet use be restricted, authorities said.
If convicted, he faced a maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison and a $250,000 fine, authorities said.
But Harris never made it to his court date, according to the FBI.
Two weeks before he was set to appear in federal court on April 19, Harris drowned in a boating accident at Suisin Bay, the FBI said.
Or so the FBI believed, until recently, when the agency said the circumstances of his death "warrant further scrutiny, including the possibility that his death was staged."
If Harris is alive, it's unclear where he may be. Police say he goes by the aliases Chuck Harris or Charlie Harris.
Harris was born in Modesto and would be 46 years old today. He is 5 feet, 10 inches tall, about 220 pounds, with red hair and blue eyes, authorities said.
He also has light burn scars on his hands, the FBI added.
Authorities ask anyone who sees Harris to call their local FBI office. To find the closest FBI field office, click here.
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