A former employee of Zenith Accelerated Learning Academy in Osceola County has been taken into custody on charges related to possessing child pornography. Mark Stone Harden, aged 58, was arrested this past yesterday after a police investigation uncovered explicit material involving minors on his electronic devices. WESH reported that Harden is facing multiple felony charges, which include the promotion/depiction of sexual conduct by a child and unlawful use of a two-way communication device.
After receiving a tip in August, investigators from the St. Cloud Police Department, alongside the department's Internet Crimes Against Children unit, led a monthslong investigation into Harden's activities. Executing a search warrant at his home on Georgia Avenue, detectives discovered "hundreds of images and videos depicting the sexual exploitation of children," said the St. Cloud Police Department in a statement reported by ClickOrlando. According to police, the content included unauthorized photos of students from the school where Harden worked, accompanied by disturbing remarks about their body parts.
Harden had submitted his resignation from the school last week, before his arrest, and the Osceola School District has confirmed that he was no longer an employee at the time of his detention.
St. Cloud Police Chief Douglas Goerke labeled these crimes to be among the most serious and disturbing that we investigate, emphasizing the department's commitment to child safety. As the investigation continues and Harding's devices are analyzed further, authorities are urging anyone who suspects their child may have been a victim to reach out. Detective Robbie Rivera of the St. Cloud Police Department can be contacted at (407) 891-6700, ext. 6726, by potentially affected families. Harden is being held on a $26,000 bond and remains in custody at the Osceola County Jail.
