TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Attorney General Ashley Moody has congratulated Special Agent William Porter of the Florida Department of Law Enforcement for being named the 2023 Attorney General’s Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. The Florida Attorney General’s Office hosted the 2023 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year Ceremony in Havana to honor 11 officers who demonstrated courage and selflessness while exceeding their duties last year.
Attorney General Ashley Moody stated, “I am proud to name Special Agent William Porter our 2023 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year. Agent Porter’s diligence and resourcefulness working with Florida and Texas authorities resulted in the arrests of two human traffickers and the rescue of a young trafficking victim. I am honored to recognize his service and the exemplary work of all our 2023 award nominees.”
In July 2023, Special Agent Porter was contacted by the Texas Department of Public Safety requesting FDLE’s assistance in locating a juvenile victim held captive by a 37-year-old male subject. According to the investigation, the suspect organized the transport of the victim from Corpus Christi, Texas to Gainesville under false promises. Instead, the victim experienced several horrifying events including forced drug use, starvation, rape, abuse, and torture. The investigation also revealed that a female subject participated in these violations.
Working with Texas DPS, Special Agent Porter led efforts to find and rescue the victim. A Texas DPS agent identified an IP address linked to the missing victim’s social media account at a residence in Gainesville. Special Agents Porter and Calvin Lee collaborated with Alachua County Sheriff’s Office and Texas DPS to obtain probable cause for a search warrant at this residence.
On July 25, 2023, authorities executed a search warrant at the suspect's residence where they arrested him on site and rescued the victim. They also tracked down and arrested the female subject in Orlando.
Last November, both suspects were federally indicted and charged with interstate transportation of a minor for sex along with numerous counts related to child sexual abuse material production. Both face life sentences.
Special Agent Porter has over 16 years of law enforcement experience, including eight years as an FDLE agent. Due to his commitment to excellence, he was promoted to Resident Agent in Charge of FDLE's Gainesville Field Office.
Other nominees for this year's award included:
- Detective Matthew Aiken, Miami Beach Police Department;
- Detective Miguel “Mike” Garcia, Miami-Dade Police Department;
- Detective Kyle George, St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office;
- Deputy Colt Howell, Jackson County Sheriff’s Office;
- Detective Dan Koehler, Florida Department of Financial Services;
- Detective Greg Lariscy, Florida Department of Financial Services;
- Officer Matthew Pietroburgo, Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission;
- Detective Eddie Tavcar, West Palm Beach Police Department;
- Trooper Steven Turner; Florida Highway Patrol;
- Special Agent Ryan Vaughn; Florida Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services.
All nominees were previously named Officers of the Year by various Florida law enforcement agencies and associations.
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