South Florida School Psychologist Charged with Possessing and Distributing Child Pornography
MIAMI-DADE COUNTY, Fla. – A South Florida school psychologist who worked with children with special needs is facing serious charges after allegedly possessing and distributing child pornography, according to authorities.
Robert Lee Turner, 62, of Miami-Dade County, was arrested following a detailed investigation triggered by a cyber tip from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children. The tip, which was submitted by Instagram on May 25, alleged that Turner had distributed two videos containing child sexual abuse material, police said.
According to the arrest report, one of the videos showed two naked children, appearing to be between 10 and 12 years old, engaging in sexual acts. The second video depicted four nude boys aged 8 to 12; two were sleeping while the others were engaged in sexual activity, investigators stated. Additionally, several thumbnail images of children aged 6 to 12 engaged in sexual acts were discovered.
Police executed a search warrant at Turner’s residence, where authorities said he barricaded himself in a bathroom in an attempt to avoid arrest. The search revealed that Turner had allegedly promoted and distributed the two videos to over 50 online users.
Following his arrest, Turner was transported to Jackson South Medical Center for evaluation before being taken into custody. Police executed another warrant at his home on Tuesday, where the aftermath of the raid, including a broken front door, was still visible.
Turner was subsequently booked into the Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center and faces five counts of child pornography/sexual performance by a child, two separate counts of sexual performance by a child, and resisting arrest without violence, according to jail records.
Turner appeared in Miami-Dade bond court on Tuesday morning with visible injuries and wearing a safety smock. Miami-Dade Circuit Judge Mindy Glazer set his bond at $28,000, placed him on house arrest, and ordered him to wear a GPS monitor. Turner is prohibited from using the internet except to consult with his lawyer and is subject to a no-contact order preventing him from interacting with anyone under the age of 18. His Instagram account has since been deactivated.
During the bond hearing, Turner’s public defender argued against the house arrest condition, stating, “The state has not articulated any degree or sense of danger to the community that my client is going to do something.” However, Judge Glazer sided with the prosecution, noting Turner’s prior contact with students who have special needs and emphasizing the need to prevent any further contact.
Miami-Dade County Public Schools did not disclose Turner’s specific assignment within the district but confirmed that he was employed by the system and worked at schools as needed. The district released a statement expressing concern about the allegations and stated that they are cooperating fully with the investigation.
The case remains under investigation, and authorities urge anyone with information related to Turner’s activities to come forward.
