(The Center Square) – A middle school science teacher from the Lee County School District is among those charged in a string of child predator arrests, Attorney General James Uthmeier announced Thursday.
Graham Freeman, 56, of Cape Coral was charged with 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of sexual activity involving animals, according to the attorney general.
Uthmeier said when law enforcement agents executed a search warrant they found “drives and drives” of child sex abuse and animal sex abuse materials.
“This is not light stuff,” Uthmeier said during a press conference Thursday.
“Thank you to Attorney General James Uthmeier, Sheriff Carmine Marceno, and every law enforcement entity and agent standing with us to protect children,” said Lee County Schools Superintendent Dr. Denise Carlin. “The moment we were notified of this teacher’s arrest, we acted immediately, removing him from the classroom and barring him from every district property. I recommended he be terminated swiftly. Predators will find no harbor in The School District of Lee County.”
Officers also arrested 33-year-old Jordan Kent Hall of Sarasota who faces 10 counts of possession of child sexual abuse material and one count of sexual activities involving animals. Agents with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement found devices containing illegal material during an executed search warrant at his home.
Another arrest took place in Zephyrhills where officers took 41-year-old Matthew David Peter into custody. He is charged with soliciting a child for unlawful sexual conduct using a computer, transmission of harmful material to a minor, and unlawful use of a two-way communications device to facilitate a felony.
Peter’s arrest came after an undercover FDLE operation where Peter thought he was sending sexually explicit communications to a 13-year-old girl, according to the attorney general’s office.
“We are seeking the longest terms of sentence that we can under Florida law for these cases,” said Uthmeier.
Since he took over the role of attorney general in February 2025, over 2,000 child predators have been arrested in Florida.
“We are sending a clear message: if you prey on kids in this state, we will find you, arrest you, and put you behind bars. Thanks to our law enforcement partners and Statewide Prosecutors, we are breaking all-time records against predators,” Uthmeier said.
As students head back to school, Uthmeier urged parents to have discussions with their children about safe internet habits.
“Some of these vile crimes are committed by people we trust with our kids. That is unacceptable. FDLE will continue to investigate these crimes and work with the Office of Statewide Prosecution to hold these individuals accountable, but it is a group effort that starts with secure internet habits,” said FDLE Fort Myers Special Agent in Charge Eli Lawson. “Secure internet habits start at home. While families are getting ready for the school year to begin, I strongly encourage parents to have the important conversations with your children about safe online use.”
